A special service on the eve of the centenary of the outbreak of WW1 saw the St Paul's altar frontal
used for the first time in over 70 years.
Attended by more than 80 relatives of the men who created the frontal, the service of Eucharist on August 3 saw hundreds of people come to St
Paul's to commemorate the special anniversary.
The Bishop of London officiated at the service and the sermon was given by The Reverend Canon Michael Hampel.
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In his address he said: "The story of humankind is the story of one bloody mess after another so that the Christmas carol is horribly accurate when it
says that man at war with man hears not the love song which the angels bring... Anniversaries of war are no occasions for celebration and, if anything,
provide moments of recognition that all is not well with the world. And yet we, as people of faith, are obliged to express hope despite everything –
and the altar frontal, which provides the focus for our commemoration this evening and, indeed, for the next four years, articulates – both physically
and aesthetically – a legacy lest we forget."
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The Old Testament lesson was read by Lieutenant Colonel James Muth, The Royal Canadian Regiment, grandson of Lance Corporal James Muth, 133 Battalion,
The Royal Regiment of Canada.