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Holocaust Memorial Day Service ...

Holocaust Memorial Day, Wednesday 27 January, will be commemorated with a short service in the Peace Garden near the Abbey Gate in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds. Canon Matthew Vernon, Sub Dean of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, will be joined by the Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Councillor Patrick Chung, children from two Bury St Edmunds schools and representatives from religious groups at a special service at 10.30 am. Children from St James’ Middle School and Guildhall Feoffment School will take part in the service and plant snowdrops in the Peace Garden, which was opened on Holocaust Memorial Day last year.

Canon Vernon comments, ‘This annual service is an important moment to pause and reflect on how injustice affects people throughout the generations, from the Holocaust to the Rwandan genocide. Sadly our news is full of stories of terrible acts of violence against other humans.’

The theme of this years’ service is Don’t Stand By. The service will include stories of people whose courageous acts saved many people from the horrors of the Holocaust, such as Sir Nicholas Winton who, in 9 months of 1939, rescued 669 children from Czechoslovakia, bringing them to the UK. Sir Nicholas died in July 2015 aged 106.

More details can be found on the Holocaust Memorial Day website at www.hmd.org.uk.

The short service on January 27 is open to everyone and will feature a series of readings and music.