26.04.2023
Remembering that which must never be forgotten – Anzac Day Service in St Ann’s
Anzac Day was marked in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, yesterday, Tuesday April 25. The New Zealand Ireland Association’s 31st Annual Service of Remembrance was held in the church in the presence of Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy, the New Zealand Ambassador, Trevor Mallard, the Australian Ambassador, Gary Gray, the Netherlands Ambassador, Adriaan Palm, the Counsellor to the Turkish Ambassador, Ege Ersen, and Deputy Charlie Flanagan, chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
In New Zealand and Australia, and wherever people from both countries gather, Anzac Day is observed each year to honour all who served the two countries in time of war. The day marks the campaign that followed the landings at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli on April 25 1915. The Allies – Australians, New Zealanders, British, French, Canadians and Indians – lost some 50,000 men, including over 3,400 Irish serving in the Irish regiments. The total Allied casualties including those who died, were wounded and evacuated through sickness, came to about 250,000. Over 86,500 Turkish soldiers were killed with a similar number of casualties incurred.
The first reading [Wisdom 3: 1–8] was read by the Australian Ambassador and the second reading [Luke 24: 35–48] was read by Deputy Charlie Flanagan.
The service was led by the Vicar of St Ann’s, Canon Paul Arbuthnot, who gave the address. Referencing what he termed as the ‘commonality of grief’ from the shared trauma of both the Battle of the Somme and Gallipoli, he said: “The people of my home and yours share this dark commonality which echoes down the generations. This commonality of great loss in warfare. This commonality of heroism. This commonality of grief. And with this as the backdrop to today’s gathering, you might very well wonder what the purpose of this act of worship is? Is it to glory in militarism? I don’t think so. Is it to somehow to make an idol of the nation state? I don’t think so.”
Canon Arbuthnot explained that through such services the bravery of those who fought was honoured but there was more to it. “We remember that which must never be forgotten. We honour that which binds us together in all its complexity. We reflect on our national identities and what unites us and divides us by accident of birth. But in all of this contemplation, we do so during the Easter season. This is the season where we rejoice in the victory of Christ over death. It is during this season we celebrate the reconciling love of God. We celebrate that love which carries us from the darkness of death in a distant foreign land, to the hope of new peaceful life together. Today we place our trust and hope in God who carries us from the grim commonality of a shared trauma to that of a shared future,” he stated.
The service drew towards its conclusion with an Act of Remembrance during which the Last Post was sounded followed by the Reveille. The Exhortation was given by the New Zealand Ambassador. Wreaths were laid and members of the public were invited to place wreaths and light candles. The Ataturk Tribute was read by the Turkish Counsellor. These were followed by the singing of the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems.
