Under the title "That none be condemned to repeat it" a SHOAH Memorial Service for Christians and all people of good will was celebrated at St Francis' Church on Monday evening, 19 April. This annual ecumenical liturgy, in memory of the destruction of six million Jews and the destruction of something of our own humanity during the years 1933-1945, is an initiative of the Sub-Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations of the Melbourne Catholic Archdiocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission.

The text for the liturgy is the work of Sr Verna Holyhead RGS, and involved this year a range of lay and religious readers, musicians, a professional dancer and students from Sion College, Box Hill. The living voice guest speaker was Mr Benjamin Stark, a holocaust survivor and author of a recent publication 'Not To Be Forgotten'.

The liturgy began in darkness, except for a light above the altar, which was dressed in black and white: black for the darkness of the Shoah, the catastrophic tempest which blew six million Jews to their death during the Nazi regime (1933-1945); and white for the Jewish colour of holiness and atonement, and as a reminder of the white shroud of burial. The coloured star of David standing out against the black drapes is a reminder of the symbol that Hitler commanded the Jews to wear on their outer garments.

On the table eight candles were placed, each lit during the service. Six to represent the six million Jews who died in the Shoah; one to represent the non-Jews who lost their lives in those years; and the eighth candle to honour the righteous Gentiles who risked their lives for the sake of their Jewish brothers and sisters. A "Candle of Hope" was carried into the assembly and became the source of light for all the tapers held by those gathered in this ceremony of prayer and worship.

Readings were taken from (1) 'The Diary of Anne Frank', (2) 'Etty: A Diary 1941-43. (3) the poem 'I Saw a Mountain' by Moses Schulstein, (4) 'The hospitality of Le Chambon', (5) 'Our own possibility for cruelty' by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin.

The traditional Jewish Prayer for the dead was prayed; this is a lovely affirmation of God's everlasting presence and dominion and a praise of God's creative love. During this prayer, the names of some of the death camps and ghettos were counterpointed. Intercessions were prayed and the flames of hope were kindled.

An extract from the concluding rite of the liturgy:

Lord our God, grant that our commitment to reconciliation may continue beyond this night. Keep us ever mindful of the seeds of future horrors which we can, so easily, sow in our lives: seeds planted by apathy, by the careless slur, by blindness to our neighbour's wounds and by deafness to their cries. And yet, let us take some pride and hope in what we do tonight, for sometimes words can pave the way, and songs and prayers bear witness to the good within us still; sometimes words give dreams a voice, to proclaim what we might be. If we cannot yet see the face of God in others, then let us see, at least, a face as human as our own so that none be condemned to repeat the horror of the Shoah. Down the generations the holy scriptures teach that life may be a blessing or a curse: the choice is in our hands. Let us offer to each other a choice for life and a sign of reconciliation. "Shalom", "Peace".