Evening star., 1950-04-10
Easter Rites Attract
Crowds 10 Church
And Sunrise Services
By Cospor Nonnes

BY CosPor Names
Churches throughout the city
were crowded yesterday with wor-
shippers who observed Easter with
hymns of JOY and triumph.
Cool weather, a sharp wind,
and a bright sun greeted church.
goers who filled the churches
within metropolitan Washington
and nearby Maryland and Vir-
ginia. Many of the churches held
two, and some of them three,
services to accommodate the
throngs desiring to worship on
Easter Sunday.
Earlier in the morning, thou
sands of District and nearby
residents braved a 26-degree tenn
perature, which seemed colder
because of the sharp wind, at nu-
merous sunrise services. Gloves
and overcoats were general dress
for most people attending outdoor
sunrise services. Blankets helped
worshipers huddled together at
tain a measure of warmth.
Love Over Force"
Largest crowd to attend a SUM-
rise service was at Fort Lincoln
Cemetery, where police estimated
IS, 1000 persons braved the cold.
This was the second largest crowd
to attend these services. the ninth
one sponsored by the Organized
Bible Glass Association of Wash
ington. A crowd of $4,000 attended
the 1916 service.
The triumphant theme of
"Christ Is Risen" keynote d
speeches and hymns in the serv-
ices. At National City Christian
Church, the Rev. DR.. j. Warren
Hastings. pastor, declared Christ's
resurrection "was a clear-cut vic
tory for Righteousness over evil
and sordid scheming. 1t was a
victory Of love over force. It was
q victory of truth over falsehood.
It was a victory for the ways of
God over against the ways of
Satan"
To Share With Him.
The Catholic Church rejoices at
Easter because "she can point out
to her children the real goal of
life and the true meaning of sue
cess" the Rev. Thomas j. Harte
Of Catholic University. declared
at st. Patrick's Church yesterday.
"And what is that goal? It is to
stand one day before the risen
Christ to share with him forever
the joys of Easter, the happiness
Of the Resurrection by which He
opened wide for us the gates of
heaven"
The Rev. Kevin Conley of st.
Paul's Monastery, Pittsburgh, yes
terday told worshipers at Immac-
ulate Conception Church leach
mystery in the life of Our Lord
springs from a tWo-fold principle
the honor and glory of God the
Father, and the general welfare
Of man."
During the sunrise service at
Fort Lincoln Cemetery the cold
and sharp wind drove many from
the hilltop to the comparative
warmth of their nearby parked
cars. Police clocked 1929 cars
parked on the cemetery's winding
roadway.
Congressman Reads Scripture.
Representative Elliott, Demo-
crat. of Alabama gave the Scrip
ture reading. The prayer was Of
fered by the Rev. DR.. Ralph D.
Smith. Washington West District
superintendent. The Methodist
Church. DR.. Page Etchison, Bible
Association president, gave the
invocation and Navy Chaplain
Paul G. Linaweaver the benedic-
ton. Howard M. Stackhouse, gen.
eral chairman for the service,
presided.
A total of 5000 persons at
tended the Goth consecutive Easter
sunrise service sponsored by the
Grand Encampment of Knights
Templar Of the U. S. A., in Arling-
ton National Cemetery yesterday.
The colorful observance was
opened by procession of Knights
Templar, carrying swords at their
shoulders. marching into the am
phitheatre as the United States
Marine Band played Onward
Christian Soldiers" When seated
the white plumed hats some
knights wore formed a cross,
framed by a white border, against
q field of dark colored hats.
Jesus proclaimed man to be a
moral being. capable of infinite
advancement from mere animal
existence to spiritual power and
dominion, through obedience to
the moral law given at Sinai and
completed by the new command
ment of love incarnate, set forth
in the Sermon on the Mount"
the Rev. DR.. Edgar Cordell Powers,
Maryland Bible Society secretary.
told the gathering,
Other dawn services in the
Washington area were held at
Walter Reed Hospital; National
Naval Medical Center, Bethesda.
Md; Howard University; Lincoln
Memorial Cemetery; Calvary Lu-
theran Church, Silver Spring, Md:
Magruder Park, Hyattsville, and
st. Matthew'S Episcopal Church.
Seat Pleasant. Md. and National
Memorial Park, Falls Church, Md.
Largest of these was at Ma
tional Memorial Park, where DO
lice estimated 10000 persons
D1thered. :