Evening star., 1944-04-05
Greater Participation
In Good Friday Rites
Urged by President

President Roosevelt today urged
greater participation in the three
hour observance, from IL to 3 pm,
Good Friday, and in a letter to DR..
Frederick B. Harris, chairman of
the Observance Committee and Sem
ate chaplain, wrote:
Thank you for thinking of me in
making your appeal for devout OBJ
servance of Good Friday. 1t is fit
ting that we as Nation should pray
very humbly in this season and this
year of our trial, for divine blessing
upon the work to which we have
set our hands. 1t is fitting that we
should consider well our own ef-
forts, our own accomplishments in
connection with this task.
"It is well, too, that we remember
what sacrifice, what price in suffer-
ing and toll, will be exacted from
many Of our young men before we
put down those powers Of evil which
have challenged good throughout
the world.
1--WE are engaged in the greatest
trial of strength, that between Good
and Evil, that this world has ever
known. Let us, therefore, be sure
that our spiritual resources are at
their height, that our prayers in
this Easter season, this season OF
promise of hope after darkness, shall
speak nightly of our faith in the
rightness Of our cause before God" !"
"Reverently Summons People"
DR.. Harris, who is also pastor OF
the Foundry Methodist Church, said
the Presidents statement means
that "the Chief Executive devoutly
and reverently summons the people
to depend upon spiritual resources,
without which any mere military
victory would be hollow and futile" !"
Many business firms and profess
sional offices have indicated they
would let their employees of during
the three hours Friday so they could
attend religious services Mr.. Roose-
velt has issued instructions permit
ting Government workers to be ex-
eused from work at their request.
Churches of the North Capitol
street area announced that the Rev.
E. H. Pruden, pastor of the First
Baptist Church, will speak at
union Good Friday service from 10
to 3 pm. in the Memorial United
Brethren Church at North Capitol
and r streets. Churches and pastors
participating are Bethany Baptist,
the Rev. M. p. German: Atonement
Lutheran, the Rev. r. L. Lang; Lin
coin Road Methodist, the Rev. G. H.
Bennett; Rhode Island Avenue
Methodist, the Rev. e. A. Sexsmith;
lexington Presbyterian, the Rev.
H. B. Wooding, and the United
Brethren, the Rev. I. S. Ernst.
Other Services Planned.
The Methodist Union will hold a
Good Friday service at pm. at the
Mount Vernon Place Methodist
Church, Massachusetts, avenue and
Ninth street NV. Churches in
cluded in the union are Brookland,
Douglass Memorial, Lincoln Road,
Waugh, Trinity, Ryland and Brad
burn.
The Catholic Evidence Guild will
give the 18th Annual Everybody's
Good Friday in Franklin Park,
Fourteenth and K streets NV.
from to 2:30 pm. The service will
include the stations of the cross
and choral music. Catholic churches
throughout the District will hold
services from IL to 8 pm.
The Grace Lutheran Church, Six
teenth and Varnum streets NV,
will be open from IL to 8 pm. Fri
day for meditation and prayer. DR..
Gerhard E. Lenski, pastor, will con-
duct "The Service of the Seven
Last Words" from to pm.