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Holocaust Candle

A special service of remembrance to mark Holocaust Memorial Day is to be held at Preston’s Minster of St John at 2pm on Wednesday 27th January.

The annual event invites people to remember the communities that suffered as a result of the Holocaust, the Second World War, and other tragedies world wide, coinciding with the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

This year the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is challenging everyone in the UK to take part in the ‘Legacy of Hope’, the theme for 2010. This ‘Legacy of Hope’ focuses on Holocaust survivors in the UK and the fascinating stories they have to tell, and how their experience has shaped both their lives and ours.

The City of Preston will be lighting candles during the service at the Minster of St John, for all political and religious persuasions to join together in a message of hope.

Councillor Keith Sedgewick, Mayor of Preston, said:

“The national memorial day is an important time to remember the horrors of the Holocaust and the people that suffered from the persecution.

It also provides a day to think about the lessons we have learned from such acts, working towards a more inclusive society where such tragedies can never occur again”.


Background Information

  • Preston’s memorial service takes place at 2pm on Wednesday 27th January at the Minster of St John, Church Street, Preston.
  • The service will be led by Father Timothy Lipscombe and the Mayor of Preston and will be attended by representatives from various faiths.
  • Holocaust Memorial Day is a national event that aims to:
    - Recognise the Holocaust was a tragically defining episode of the 20th Century, a crisis for European civilisation and a universal catastrophe for humanity.
    - Provide a national mark of respect for all victims of Nazi persecution and demonstrate understanding with all those who still suffer its consequences.
    - Raise awareness and understanding of the events of the Holocaust as a continuing issue of fundamental importance for all humanity.
    - Make sure the horrendous crimes, racism and victimisation committed during the Second World War to the present day are neither forgotten nor repeated, whether in Europe or elsewhere in the world.
  • For more information about Holocaust Memorial Day, visit www.hmd.org.uk

Date Published: 26/01/10