For Immediate Release
Remembrance Day at St Matthew-in-the-City:
Red and White Poppies Standing Tall Together
Lest We Forget
A commitment to peace, while remembering the human toll of war is the theme of this year’s annual Remembrance Day
Service to be held at St Matthew-in-the-City on November 7 at 11:30 am. First hand experiences of those directly
touched by war will be heard and Gaylene Preston ONZM, will speak of war’s impact in human terms on New Zealand life.
Ms Preston is the award winning filmmaker of “Home By Christmas” and “War Stories our Mothers Never Told Us.”
The Service is preceded with a parade at 11:00 am down Hobson St to St Matthews, led by the Band of the Royal Regiment
of the New Zealand Artillery.
The Service is one of colour and pageantry with representatives from Auckland City, the Armed Services, the Auckland
Consular Corps and the Auckland Youth Choir participating. The Rev’d Clay Nelson of St Matthew’s says, ‘This is a day to
remember the tragedy of war and honour the lives that were lost while praying for peace. Rev’d Nelson says, ‘We hold
together memories of war and our longing for a world that forsakes violence to resolve conflict. This will be expressed
with the lighting of a peace candle during the service by the Hon Dr Wayne Mapp, Minister of Defence, and prayers
committing us to be instruments of peace.’ The service will be conclude with In Flanders Field read by Govenor-General
Sir Anand Saytanand, the Last Post and Reveille.
In the days before and after the Remembrance Service St Matthews will be hosting the exhibition Life in Gaza Today
(November 6-8). The exhibition tells of life from the perspective of children and adults who live in Gaza. It is their
art about their stories. The exhibition is on behalf of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign to raise money for
communities in Gaza and to educate about the plight of the people in Gaza.
ENDS