Bells at Consecration

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Mary_Gail_36

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I noticed in my Parish that for the past few weeks there have been no bells at the consecration. I miss them. I am not sure why it was decided to stop them, or if it is being done for a practical matter (maybe the bells are being repaired)

I like the bells. Would it be proper to ask the Pastor the reason they aren’t being used, and if we can have them back? How could I go about this in a polite manner?

Any suggestions. Thanks so much.
 
I would suggest simply asking your pastor why they haven’t been used. If he says its because they are under repair then you have your answer. If he says otherwise than you can politely say that you miss them.
 
Our current pastor reintroduced them after an absence of 2 or 3 previous pastors.

I am so grateful… It is so beautiful to hear them ringing out the praises of Our Lord in the Sacrament…
 
When our parish switched pastors a couple of years ago, the bells went silent. One of the altar servers asked Father why we no longer used the bells and he simply said that it was an option that he chooses not to use. At first I missed the bells; I would hear them at the appropriate times in my head. But as time passed, I have come to love the reverent silence at the consecration. It’s all good…
 
The non-use of Sanctus bells in my parish was long symbolic of the “old way of doing things that we now want to avoid” based largely on ignorance and the personal tastes of those in charge. We were treated to ridiculous stories over the years of the bells being outlawed by the Church (they are not) or that they serve no function within the Ordinary Form of the Mass (they do, albeit an optional one.)

We finally got a new pastor that said something like “I don’t prefer the bells be used during my Masses (which is well within his authority) but their use is up to each celebrating priest.” Done deal. He couldn’t have handled it any better.
 
I can’t remember the bells being used much when I first arrived at this parish but what I do remember is Sister hiding them when she was made administrator at a turbulent time when we were 7 months with no pastor. A few years ago someone found them again and now they are used on Holy Thursday and at the Easter Vigil & Easter morning Mass. Doubt that we’ll be using them much more than that until we have a pastor that can be bothered to genuflect after the elevation.
 
Well for someone who has grown up with bells being used at all masses I can’t imagine not having them. Good Friday is the only day I am aware of where the bells are not used but substituted with wooden blocks. I am not sure how they are constructed or anything like that. A couple of posters indicated that bells are optional. I didn’t see anywhere in the GIRM that this is optional but I could have missed it. What I did find was this:
  1. A little before the consecration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful. According to local custom, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice.
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Don9of11 said:
Well for someone who has grown up with bells being used at all masses I can’t imagine not having them. Good Friday is the only day I am aware of where the bells are not used but substituted with wooden blocks. I am not sure how they are constructed or anything like that. A couple of posters indicated that bells are optional. I didn’t see anywhere in the GIRM that this is optional but I could have missed it. What I did find was this:
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I grew up with them too. It doesn’t seem to cumbersome for the alter server to ring a bell. It does seem more reverent to have the bells. We have a new pastor…and I miss the old one.

I notice it is the same priest that does not use the bell…maybe it his personal preference? I guess I’ll wait until we go to Mass with another priest and see if he uses it.

I know it isn’t a major thing…but I like them. 😦
 
Does anyone know about the bells in the Extraordinary Form? Are they “required” or optional?
 
japhy said:
I am quite sure they are rubrically required.
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No they are not. They are optional:

GIRM #150: “A little before the consecration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful. According to local custom, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice.”
 
Phemie said:
I can’t remember the bells being used much when I first arrived at this parish but what I do remember is Sister hiding them when she was made administrator at a turbulent time when we were 7 months with no pastor. A few years ago someone found them again and now they are used on Holy Thursday and at the Easter Vigil & Easter morning Mass. Doubt that we’ll be using them much more than that until we have a pastor that can be bothered to genuflect after the elevation.
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I can top that. A former pastor placed our set in the parish museum until a member of our Hispanic Community spied them (long after that pastor was gone)and worked for their release back to the sacristy. 😃
 
FrDavid96 said:
Does anyone know about the bells in the Extraordinary Form? Are they “required” or optional?
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I’m pretty sure they’re required. They alert people to the most important parts of Mass; the Offertory (unveiling of Chalice), Sanctus (beginning of the Canon), The Hanc Igitur (almost time for the Consecration), the Consecration, the “Non Sum Dignus” (Priest’s Communion)
 
JuanCarlos said:
I’m pretty sure they’re required. They alert people to the most important parts of Mass; the Offertory (unveiling of Chalice), Sanctus (beginning of the Canon), The Hanc Igitur (almost time for the Consecration), the Consecration, the “Non Sum Dignus” (Priest’s Communion)
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The bells’ primary role is not to alert anyone. It’s to make a joyous sound to God.
 
Silverburg said:
The bells’ primary role is not to alert anyone. It’s to make a joyous sound to God.
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True.

Still, alert they do; oftentimes I’ll be following the Canon in my missal, but at the Hanc Igitur bell I’ll set down my missal in anticipation of the Consecration. If there were no bells, I might miss the Consecration entirely!
 
The following article gives an interesting historical significance to Sanctus Bells
Their History and Use in the Catholic Church

adoremus.org/0305SantusBells.html

Personally; I’ve always appreciated hearing the bells rung especially during consecration.

Seems nowadays; that clergy don’t want to be reminded of anything that remotely that calls forth memories to the Traditional Latin Mass. These kind of omissions in today’s liturgy never cease to impress me seeing a continual watering down of traditions and prayers in the Mass.
Should Catholics expect less?
 
My family changed parishes a couple of years ago and our current parish does not use bells. I miss them!
 
JuanCarlos said:
I’m pretty sure they’re required. They alert people to the most important parts of Mass; the Offertory (unveiling of Chalice), Sanctus (beginning of the Canon), The Hanc Igitur (almost time for the Consecration), the Consecration, the “Non Sum Dignus” (Priest’s Communion)
Click to expand...
Our pastor also discontinued the bells. When he was approached about it and asked to bring them back, his reply was that the everyone should be paying attention during the Mass because the entire Mass is important.

He refuses to bring them back even though he has been asked to and knows how much they mean to some people.
 
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