Evening star., 1950-02-22
Washingtonians Mark
Ash Wednesday at
City-Wide Services

Thousands of Washington resi-
dents today observed Ash We'd
nesday, the first day of Lent, by
attending services in the area S
Protestant and Catholic churches.
In all Catholic and some Epis-
copal churches the traditional
placing of ashes on the forehead
was observed. Services today
open the 40-day period of prayer,
penitence and self denial which
eliminates in Easter Sunday.
For Catholics, the solemn Len
ten season has special meaning
in this Holy Year proclaimed by
the Pope. Early masses were held
this morning in Catholic churches,
with ashes being distributed fol-
lowing each mass.
Holy communion services were
held in many Episcopal churches
this morning.
MONDAY services were sched-
uled at many of the downtown
and neighborhood churches. The
first of a series of lenten MONDAY
services, starting at 1905 pm,
was held today in National Pres
byterian Church, Connecticut
avenue and N street NV. They
are sponsored by the Washington
Federation of Churches.
Service to Center on H-BOmb.
The Episcopal Church of the
Epiphany, 1917 G street NV,
and the Lutheran Church of the
Reformation, 212 East Capitol
street, also held the first of their
lenten MONDAY meetings. An
other midday service will be held
tomorrow at the Lutheran Church
Center, 1856 Jackson place NV.
Ash Wednesday and Washing
tons Birthday were solemnized
by service centering around the
Nations responsibilities in rela-
tion to the hydrogen bomb.
In prayer heard by more
than 500 Protestant clergymen
and many other worshipers, the
Very Rev. John W. Suter. dean
of the Cathedral. said:
Guide our leaders; purify their
motives and their aims. that they
may be led of Thee. Guide our
people; speak Thy word to every
heart and mind and will. that. so
led and so purified, our Nation
may rise to achieve Thy victory,
not ours, and the nations we fear
may win not their victory but
Thine; for in Thy will is our
peace, even as in Thy fatherhood
all are embraced whom Thou has
made, o Lord Most Holy. o Lord
Most High. Amen
Senator Mcmahon. Democrat, of
Connecticut. chairman of the
Joint Committee on Atomic
Energy, in a letter to the Right
Rev. Angus Dun, Bishop of Wash
ington, voiced prayer that the
Cathedral service centering on the
H-bomb would quicken our ap-
probation Of spiritual values" of
the problem.
There has been placed in hu-
man hands by Divine Providence
unique physical force whose
ultimate disposition will affect is
a most profound manner the des-
TIMES of men and nations" the
message said.
by unlocking the secrets OF
the atom, the scientific world has
.widened the boundaries of human
knowledge and opened the door to
significant changes in our political
and economic life. But the basic
problem inherent in the use of
atomic energy is essentially moral
in character. Men and nations
may employ this God-given force
for benign purposes or they may
debase it by Employing its destruc-
tive powers for evil.
I'm suggesting the magnitude of
the problem, We begin to under
stand that the right solution will
never be found without firm ard
constant reliance upon Divine
guidance"
Speakers Listed.
Marquis Childs, newspaper COL
umnist, was to speak at the morn
ing service. Senator Humphrey.
Democrat, of Minnesota and
Senator Lodge, Republican. of
Massachusetts, will speak at 3 pm.
The concluding service. at 4 pm.
will have as speakers the Rev.
Clarence w. Crawford. pastor of
Calvary Baptist Church, and
Bishop Dun.
Former Chief of Army Chaplains
Luther D. Miller, now canon
of Washington Cathedral, will
preach at the first Lenten serv-
ice to be held at o'clock tonight
in Christ Episcopal Church, Alex
andria, Va.
The services of the litany and
of the penitential office will be
conducted by the clergy of Christ
Church. The Rev. B. B. Conner
Lille is rector and the Rev. o. V. T.
Chamberlain is assistant rector.