NSW: Sydney celebrates last Easter of millennium

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-1999
NSW: Sydney celebrates last Easter of millennium

By Karen Michelmore

SYDNEY, April 4 AAP - Rain failed to dampen the spirits of thousands of people who turned
out to celebrate Easter in Sydney today.

More than 3,000 people attended morning Catholic and Anglican Easter services at St Mary's
Cathedral and the Sydney Town Hall.

A further 5,000 people were expected to take to the streets this afternoon in two marches
which will meet at the Opera House at 2.45pm.

Other marches around the country are being held up as models of cooperation across
religious denominations.

At the Sydney Town Hall, Anglican Archbishop Harry Goodhew told a congregation of about
2,000 that on the eve of the millennium, people needed to spend less time worrying about the
Y2K bug and more time thinking about the need for reconciliation, particularly with God.

People spent more time examining the readiness of their computers than coming to grips with
Jesus, Archbishop Goodhew said.

"Many people, as you know, are concerned with the so-called millennium bug, and just how
our lives will be hit by computers or electronic equipment which may or may not work after the
date ticks over to the first of January," he said.

"There is an important parallel here with people's attitude toward Jesus.

"Do we believe that at the end of our lives, God will accept us? It is almost like our own
personal, millennium bug.

"Perhaps a great milestone, like the year 2000, will give this generation cause to stop and
think."

Archbishop Goodhew said reconciliation was needed between people all around the world, but
a more fundamental healing was between people and God.

"Each of us has gone our own way - we have divorced ourselves from God," he said.

He made special mention of murdered Australian missionary Graham Staines, who had worked to
bring about reconciliation in India.

"We Australians all had cause to stop and think about faith, and our own faith - as we were
shocked by the murder of missionary Graham Staines and his two young boys in India recently,"
he said.

The Easter marches, overseen by the heads of all Christian churches, will be linked via
satellite and radio broadcasts.

In Sydney, they will leave at four points and merge into two marches, proceeding to the
Opera House.

The first Sydney march will leave Bradfield Park, Milsons Point, at 1.40pm and will proceed
to the Opera House forecourt. The second march will leave Sydney Town Hall at 2.05pm and will
journey to the Opera House via Hyde Park north.

At the Opera House, Archbishop Goodhew will give an Easter Address, followed by
performances by didgeridoo player Adrian Ross and Aboriginal dancers.

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KEYWORD: EASTER NSW N

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