Evening star., 1944-06-06
ThousandsGo
ToChurches
In nD-Day Rites
Roosevelt to Lead
Nation in Prayer
On Air at 10 PM.

On Air at 10 PM.
Many churches throughout Wash
ington and the Nation today were
dedicating special prayer services
to the men now landing in France.
The spontaneous D-day observance
will be climaxed at 10 o'clock to-
night, when President Roosevelt
leads the country in a broadcast of
a prayer which he composed last
night while. early reports of the
cross Channel movement were
reaching the White House.
Parents, sisters, wives, sweet
hearts and friends of the troops
overseas thronged the city's
churches during the day. each with
a special prayer to offer for some
loved one believed to be sharing the
perils of the great attack.
Movement Gains Momentum.
The movement to join in prayer
for the success Of the invasion
gained momentum as the day passed.
While the churches were never
crowded during the days working
hours, a steady flow of worshippers
passed through the doors to remain
for few minutes in prayer. Here
and there woman wept, but for
the most part the worshippers sat
or knelt in prayer;
Symbolic of the universal scope
of the observance, leaders of three
great religious faiths were to join
in special broadcast at $3.50 pm.
today over Station WMAL under
auspices of the Committee of Re-
ligious Life of the District.
Speakers will be the Right Rev.
Angus Dun, Bishop of Washing
ton; Norman Gerstenfeld of the
Washington Hebrew Congregation,
and the Rev. DR.. Edmund A.
Walsh, S. j., vice president of
Georgetown University.
-Four services under auspices of
the Washington Federation of
Churches will be held at 8 o'clock
tonight for all who want to join in
prayer. A federation committee met
hurriedly today to make plans for
the services, at each of which q
group of pastors will officiate.
The federation-sponsored services
will be held at the First Congrega-
ticnal Church, Tenth and G streets
NV: Chevy Chase Presbyterian
Church, Chevy Chase Circle; Ma
tional Baptist Church, Sixteenth
street and Columbia road NV, and
the Church of the Reformation, 212
East Capitol Street.
Services Started Early.
The services began as early as
7:30 am. Early worshipers in
cluded Federal workers on their
way to wartime jobs and sprin-
king Of uniformed men-soldiers,
sailors and marines.
The throngs were "very calm"
but visibly impressed by the grav-
ity AZ the day and hour.
4eeic43 we're I'd. continue hourly
DC the National Csehedral. aTne
first was 4 joint observance in the
Chapel of st. Joseph Of Arima-
thea on the first anniversary of
the death of the late Bishop James
E. Freeman.
The special prayer Of the pre-
siding bishop of the Episcopal
Church of the United States was
part of the observances. Bishop
Dun will speak at the services at
o'clock this afternoon and 8 o'clock
tonight.
Hourly services began at 8 a m, at
the Church of the Covenant. In
formed in advance that the church
would be open on D-day, many
members of the congregation came
early for individual prayer.
Msgr. Edward L. Buckley an
nounced that st. Matthews Ca
thedral on Rhode Island avenue will
hold services at 8 o'clock tonight
with prayers, sermon and benedic-
ton. Services and prayers will be
observed at 7:45 o'clock tonight, at
St. Stephens Catholic Church,
Twenty fifth street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV.
Chimes were played throughout
the day at the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church. At the Church
of the Epiphany, chimes rang out at
noon for special service.
Other Services Listed.
Other services scheduled during
the day and evening included:
Calvary Baptist, Eighth and II
streets NV, DR.. c. w. Crawford
pastor, all day; New York Avenue
Presbyterian, 1914 New York ave-
nue. NV, DR.. Peter Marshall, pas
tor all day; Church of the Epiph-
any, G street between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets NV, DR.. C
w. Sheerin, rector noon; First Con.
gregational, Tenth and G streets
NV, DR.. Howard Stone Anderson
pastor, noon, 3, 5, and pm; Ma
tional City Christian, Thomas Cir
Gle, DR.. J. Warren Hastings, pastor
noon; Mount Vernon Place Meth
odist, Ninth street and Massachu-
setts avenue, NV, DR.. John w
Rustin, pastor, noon, 5 and Bpm;
iNoticlldi AtACIlOl ldl ~
Sixteenth and S streets NV, DR.
Seth r. Brooks, pastor, 8 pm; Ry-
land Methodist, Branch and Penn
Sylvania avenues Sc, the Rev. c
L. Robson, pastor, pm; Grace
Episcopal, $40 G street Sc, the Rev
Meade Bolton MacBride, pastor 8
pm.
A brief prayer meeting for the
success Of the invasion was held
at 1890 pm. in the lobby OF
the Commerce Department Building
under auspices of the Maritime
Commission.
Churches Open In Nearby Areas.
Many churches we're open today
In Alexandria, Silver Spring, Hyatts-
vile, Bethesda and other nearby
communities.
In Bethesda Christ Lutheran
Church will be open all day for
PRAYER with a SOecial Seryice of