We are very fortunate to have a real bell in our steeple that actually functions, thanks to one of our parishioners, Gerhard Hutter. Probably the original function of the steeple bell was to announce the beginning of Mass or Vespers to the townspeople. St. Paulinus of Nola in the fourth century is credited with first use of bells in a Christian church. The steeple bell is rung also for weddings, as a sign of joy, and also for funerals, using a special slow toll, as a sign of mourning mixed with hope. It became a custom in the early Middle Ages to ring the bell three times in the day: 6:00 am, noon, and 6 pm, as an invitation to pray the Angelus. We do that at St. Mary’s, but the 6:00 am bell is not rung for some reason, perhaps in deference to our neighbors who want to sleep. Church bells were also rung to alert the townspeople to an emergency situation that was life threatening.
We also use bells at the altar during Mass. These are small bells that the altar server rings at certain times in the Mass. These bells are used both in a practical way to call the people’s attention to important parts of the Mass and also, in general, as a sign of the joy of just being able to participate in the love of God within the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The first bell is rung just before the Consecration, when the priest holds his hands over the bread and wine to be consecrated. The bells are rung three times right after the Consecration: once when the priest genuflects before the Sacred Host or Precious Blood, then when he elevates each of the Sacred Species, and a third time when he genuflects again. These bells call attention to this most sacred moment of the Mass and express our joy that our Lord is with us in His Body and Blood. Here at St. Mary’s we follow the traditional practice of ringing the tower bell at the Consecration as well. This lets the whole town know that the miracle of the Consecration is happening. A while ago, I visited someone who was seriously ill in Norwalk hospital. He told me how much it meant to him to hear the tower bell rung during the Mass to let him know that the Consecration was happening at that very time.
The final time the bells are rung is quite important. The bells are rung by the server immediately after the priest has consumed the Sacred Species. Why is this so important? That bell is the signal that the Sacrifice of the Mass is complete: the Sacrifice of the Cross has been offered and accepted by the Father in heaven. This is much clearer in the Traditional Mass than in the Novus Ordo Mass. In the Traditional Mass it is clear that the priest at this point is not “receiving Holy Communion” as do the people. The Communion of the people comes after the Sacrifice is completed and is introduced by “Ecce Agnus Dei..” In the Novus Ordo rite of Mass, the invitation to Communion comes BEFORE the priest consumes the Sacred Species. This makes it appear that the priest is just the first one to receive Holy Communion instead of consuming the Sacred Species to complete the Sacrifice. That is why at St. Mary’s the server rings the bell after the priest consumes the Sacred Species even in the Novus Ordo rite, to emphasize the completion of the Sacrifice.
The use of bells at St. Mary’s is part of our mission to return to the Tradition of the Church especially in her worship. May the bells of St. Mary’s bring joy and wonder not only to those worshipping in our church but to all who hear them wherever they are.
Fr. Richard G. Cipolla
Pastor
