Bring back the bells!

  • Thread starter Thread starter tad
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

tad

Guest
Our new pastor struck up a lively conversation with us after daily mass yesterday. Apparently, a number of parishioners have been asking him if he’s going to bring back the bells at mass. Since I’ve been there, 16 years, we haven’t used them. We’ve actually found and cleaned up a set of bells, now we have to decide whether to bring them back or not. I’m all for it. Some folks at mass yesterday are against it, they like the simplicity of our parish.

What say you? Should we bring back the bells?
 
Sure. 😀 Maybe get a soft pad for the server to set the bells back down upon after ringing. It silences them if you have hardwood floor.
 
Yes, bring them back. It’s such a simple thing, really, but useful. If someone’s mind is (Heaven forbid!) wandering during the Eucharistic Prayer, the bells can gently draw them back into focus.
 
We have always had the bells, even at daily mass. I never knew that people didn’t have them until I read it on CAF.

So yes! Bring them back!
 
I never knew they were gone. Every parish I’ve been in has used the bells.
 
My home parish and a parish near me don’t have bells. Personally, I kind of like the simplicity. But at a chapel I go to, they have bells and it’s okay, just something I wouldn’t necessarily miss.

I will say that the first time I was at a church with bells, I felt they detracted from the Mass. They were loud and clunky. It was, to me, like a train bell in the middle of Mass. The chapel’s bells however have a nice and pleasant ring to them. Not knowing what kind of bells you have, people might not like them even if they don’t mind bells overall.

It comes down to personal preference in the end.
 
A couple of years ago my Parish started using bells at most Masses. It just kind of happened.
 
My parish began using bells about two years ago. The other parish church which was merged with our parish about 20 years ago, had to have the church building torn down, long story.

Anyway, they had bells, being the other parishioners were moved to our parish, various parts of their parish property where brought to our parish, to help them feel at home.

One of those items were the bells. They’re wonderful!

The only issue is training the altar servers to ring them at the proper time, and with the help of the deacon, this is going well.

Jim
 
It’s always been bells for me. I didn’t know others lost their bells! Dingalingalingalingaling
 
Last edited:
Smells and bells for the win!

I actually feel a bit disoriented when I am at a mass without bells and incense. I know they aren’t necessary, but they really help me focus.
 
tad said:
What say you? Should we bring back the bells?
Click to expand...
When I was an altar server we used a gong .

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Where i am now bells are used .

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

I don’t like them . They are rung too long and too loudly that you can’t hear clearly that very important part of the Eucharistic Prayer being prayed by the priest .

Also the need for bells has gone . When the Mass was in Latin they were used to let people know whereabouts the priest was because they couldn’t hear him . Now we can hear the priest praying , unless the noise of the bells prevents it , so the bells have become redundant .

I say leave the bells to Santa Claus . 😄

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
My parish has never had bells. I like them.
I also like the bell rung before the priest enters.
 
christofirst said:
Yes, bring them back. It’s such a simple thing, really, but useful. If someone’s mind is (Heaven forbid!) wandering during the Eucharistic Prayer, the bells can gently draw them back into focus.
Click to expand...
One daily masser said if someone needed bells to focus on mass then maybe they shouldn’t be at mass in the first place. I thought that was kinda mean.
blackforest said:
Why do parishes opt not to use bells? They’re a rarity in my area.
Click to expand...
I don’t know. A lot of things are ‘pared down’ at my parish. I guess it was the preference of our former pastor.

During consecration. I’m not sure if we have church bells. We have what looks like a bell tower but I’m not sure if there are any bells in it. I’ve never heard them if there are.
 
I also think bells are beneficial to the liturgy to highlight the significance of the consecration and elevation of the eucharist. However I heard somewhere that the use of bells has its roots in a bygone era when people were less involved with the moment-to-moment actions of the mass. In those days people came to mass and didn’t really follow the actions of the priest. They knew he was doing something important, and they trusted that the end result would be what they needed. But they often would bring a rosary and pray the rosary during mass while the priest “did his thing” (mostly in Latin, which the people did not always understand). In such an environment, it was beneficial to use the bells to “wake up” the congregation at the elevation so they would not miss it. I don’t remember where I heard that from, but there it is for your consideration.

After Vatican II, people are generally much closer in touch with the parts of the mass, and are quite aware when the elevation is happening and do not need bells to bring it to their attention. However, I still like it, and it continues to serve a useful purpose, even if it is not quite the same purpose for which it was first begun.
 
They’re viewed in the same vein as incense, the chalice burse and veil, the Benedictine altar candle arrangement- while V2 did not explicitly get rid of them, the ‘spirit of v2’ did
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top