Evening star., 1945-03-25
Capital 10 Mark
Palm Sunday at
Special Rites
Many Churches Plan
Holy Week Services
Beginning Today

The traditional Palm Sunday serv-
ices ushering in Holy Week will be
observed in Protestant and Catholic
churches throughout the District to-
day.
The time-honored custom of bless
ing Of the palms and their distribu-
ton to worshippers will be followed
in Catholic and some Episcopal
churches. Many of the churches
have arranged elaborate musical
programs for some of the services.
Special services will be conducted
in many of the churches throughout
Holy Week A number of them will
observe three-hour noon to 3 pm.
period on Good Friday with special
services.
One of the outstanding Protestant
services today will be at the WASH
ington Cathedral where the Rt Rev.
Henry st. George Tucker, presiding
bishop of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, will speak at pm.
Procession at Monastery.
There will be blessing of palms,
procession and high mass at 9 pm,
at the Franciscan Monastery in
Brookland today. Benediction will
be at $3.50 pm.
An order permitting Government
employees desiring to attend relig-
ious services between noon and 3
pm. on Good Friday to do SO was
issued yesterday by William. H. Nc
Reynolds, administrative assistant
to President Roosevelt, to heads of
executive departments and agencies
in the Government.
Mr.. McReynolds suggested in his
letter that Government depart
ments and agencies cooperate with
this effort and with similar efforts
in other cities by permitting. en-
ployes in both the departmental and
field service to be absent on annual
leave so far as practical in all cases
where employees desire to attend re-
ligious services"
The local division of the three
hours observance of Good Friday
has the Rev. DR.. Oscar F. Black
welder, pastor of the Lutheran
Church of the Reformation, as its
chairman Co-chairmen are the
Most Rev. Michael j. Curley, Arch
bishop of Baltimore and Washing
ton; the Right Rev. Angus Dun,
Episcopal Bishop of Washington.
and the Rev. Charles w. Flint, Meth
odist Bishop of Washington. The
movement first began in 1e41 and
has been gaining wider acceptance
each year. The Rev. Joseph E.
Gedra. assistant pastor of the
Church of the Immaculate Con-
ception, is secretary of the organ
ization.
Second White House Letter.
This is the second year a White
House letter approving the request
OF employees wishing to attend re-
ligious services between noon and
3 pm. on Good Friday has been
issued.
/ The District Commissioners also
took similar action recently by ad-
1 dressing a letter to the heads of
departments approving leave of
absence" for those employees desiring
TO participate in the observance of
Good Friday"
The Army and Navy stations in
the District area Yesterday listed
the places and times of observance
of the religious services during Good
Friday:
Army: Walter Reed Hospital. 7:3O
am. and 8 and pm: War College.
1915 and Sis pm. and Washington
National Airport Post, noon.
/ Navy: Navy Communications
Annex Chapel, 1915 and 2 pm;
Air Station, Anacostia. 7::30 am:
Receiving Station. Anacostia, noon
and l2:15 pm; Research Labora-
tory, Anacostia, noon and l p.m.,
and Medical Center, 2 and 7 pm,
and Waves at Arlington Farms. 6
and 7:30 pm.
Churches, in addition to the 49
District area churches announced
previously, to hold services are CAL
vary Baptist Church, 1915 PM:
Holy Comforter Catholic Church.
noon; Christ Episcopal Church,
noon. and the following Lutheran
churches, Christ. l pm: Keller
Memorial, noon. and st. Matthew'S S