Ringing Bells at Consecration

  • Thread starter Thread starter FRANCISPIE
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
FOr whatever reason, I despise that practice. Two things. If you need to ring the bells to get the congregation to realize what is happening or to pay attention there is an issue. The other, and God doesn’t ring the doorbell. It’s his house and he is already there.
 
Lutheranteach said:
FOr whatever reason, I despise that practice. Two things. If you need to ring the bells to get the congregation to realize what is happening or to pay attention there is an issue. The other, and God doesn’t ring the doorbell. It’s his house and he is already there.
Click to expand...
The purpose of Sanctus bell(s) is not to alert the congregation. That’s an ignorant misnomer perpetuated by those who wanted to do away with the bells.

It is to make a joyous noise to celebrate the miracle taking place.

It was also originally to notify those outside of church that something miraculous was taking place.
 
Our parish doesn’t (I don’t think our priest would like it at all), but my husband’s parents’ parish does and our cathedral does. I rather like the bells.
 
ChurchTorch said:
The purpose of Sanctus bell(s) is not to alert the congregation. That’s an ignorant misnomer perpetuated by those who wanted to do away with the bells.

It is to make a joyous noise to celebrate the miracle taking place.

It was also originally to notify those outside of church that something miraculous was taking place.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up on that issue —*but what constitutes a joyous noise? COuld you replace the bells with the Notre Dame fight song? A classical piece of music? a drum roll?
 
Lutheranteach said:
Thanks for the heads up on that issue —*but what constitutes a joyous noise? COuld you replace the bells with the Notre Dame fight song? A classical piece of music? a drum roll?
Click to expand...
No; however, you may also use a crotalus.

If your point is that the quotation “make a joyful noise” is used out of context 95% of the time to support off-key singing, rock songs and drum kits at Mass, children yelling during Mass, and in general for arguing that any sort of “noise” is appropriate at church as long as the noisemaker is “joyful,” that’s well taken. However:
God doesn’t ring the doorbell. It’s his house and he is already there.
Click to expand...
God doesn’t ring the sanctus bells either. People do it to proclaim and honor the Real Presence, which we actually have in Catholic churches, and which is quite different from “God is already everywhere” mysticism.
 
my parish doesn’t use the bells but one parish within my cluster does at weekend masses. they are rung at the part “bless and approve …” and the consecration of the bread and wine.
 
I’ve only been to one Catholic church that did not do the bells. They did not have kneelers either .

I prefer to hear them.
 
My parish does as do the two nearest us. Father likes them, so do I…and if ever there is an occasion when they aren’t rung it tends to throw me off.

We have to keep up on our bells though…once during Mass (which is unfortunately held in a gymnasium for lack of space at the church) the altar server vigorously rung the bells and the bells flew off the handle and rolled off the stage while the altar server yelled “WHAT THE!..” We did manage to fix them though.
 
Lutheranteach said:
Thanks for the heads up on that issue —*but what constitutes a joyous noise? COuld you replace the bells with the Notre Dame fight song? A classical piece of music? a drum roll?
Click to expand...
Nope.

The rubrics specifically say bell(s):

GIRM #150 “…A little before the consecration the server may ring a bell…”
 
marleelynn said:
my parish doesn’t use the bells but one parish within my cluster does at weekend masses. they are rung at the part “bless and approve …” and the consecration of the bread and wine.
Click to expand...
“bless and approve …” = Epiclesis
 
My parish now clocks our largest tower bell 2 times at the Epiclesis and 3 times each at both elevations.

Far, far more beautiful than a set of hand-held bells.
 
ChurchTorch said:
My parish now clocks our largest tower bell 2 times at the Epiclesis and 3 times each at both elevations.

Far, far more beautiful than a set of hand-held bells.
Click to expand...
A beautiful custom we maintained in our old church building. Our new one doesn’t (yet) have outdoor bells. Please pray that we can obtain real bells at as little cost as possible.

At the altar, we have two four-bell clusters, one with a lower pitch than the other. At the epiclesis and when the priest receives from the chalice (a signal for the EEM’s to approach the sanctuary), one of them is rung once. At the elevations, they are rung alternately three times: 1-2, 1-2, 1-2. During the Glorias of the Triduum and during processions, we use a rota which is spun continuously throughout the hymn. This is a vertical wooden wheel on a stand with twelve brass bells around the edge. The rota or rotío dates from medieval times and survives in Spain and Latin American countries. We probably have the only one in the Pacific Northwest.
 
The EF I attend uses chimes for the consecration. I think it’s illicit but it’s easier on the ears. I don’t know if the OF in the same parish uses the chimes.
 
When we came to our present parish there were bells. The next pastor eliminated them. The next pastor returned them. The next eliminated them again. Our present pastor restored them. I do not find the silence anything but a void.
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
A beautiful custom we maintained in our old church building. Our new one doesn’t (yet) have outdoor bells. Please pray that we can obtain real bells at as little cost as possible.

At the altar, we have two four-bell clusters, one with a lower pitch than the other. At the epiclesis and when the priest receives from the chalice (a signal for the EEM’s to approach the sanctuary), one of them is rung once. At the elevations, they are rung alternately three times: 1-2, 1-2, 1-2. During the Glorias of the Triduum and during processions, we use a rota which is spun continuously throughout the hymn. This is a vertical wooden wheel on a stand with twelve brass bells around the edge. The rota or rotío dates from medieval times and survives in Spain and Latin American countries. We probably have the only one in the Pacific Northwest.
Click to expand...
You will find bell-wheels in the museums of many California Missions. Do you happen to have a photo of your parish’s bell wheel?
 
Yes, I ring them myself during Consecration.

But aside from that, my parish is pretty liberal.
 
Maybe I’m just a overly sentimental Catholic man who enjoys spiritual symbolism in the Catholic Church given the presence of numerous furnishings, sacred vessels, or pretty much anything used in the Mass resemblance of antiquity and rich symbolism that gives meaning.

While the Bells used in the Consecration are increasingly past history in most Catholic Churches, I have never once heard the reason why they were eliminated and placed in some forlorn Church museum as if to say they symbolized nothing or is it because the church has evolved and outgrown their use.

Incidentally though, my parish still uses the Consecration bells, which I have always liked even being a kid going to the Latin Mass and now of course the Novus Ordo.
Perhaps it was the special priest who took great care when I was a young Altar boy explaining the symbolism behind sacred vessels, mass vestments and furnishings on the Sanctuary. Well it obviously rubbed off on me because I truly enjoy every facet of heritage in the Catholic Church.

I’ve witnessed some priests and even bishops downplaying as if to water-down the great symbolism behind numerous spiritual aspects in the Church. Makes me wonder what New Age seminary they came from. But I do honestly pray for them.

One example of this watering down is a priest I humbly served some years ago.
He’s now an Archbishop in Western Canada. Every year the Forth degree Knights of Columbus makes New Sacred Vessels presentation during the Mass comprising of Chalices, Ciboria, and Pyx’s to various Parishes in the English Deanery.

As Sacristan Caretaker of the Parish I made an appropriate set for the priest on the Sanctuary for the presentation of the un-consecrated Sacred Vessels. I even bookmarked a special book and brought up Holy Chrism Oils (“Sancta Chrism”). When my parish priest came in before Mass he asked me what all this superfluous preparation was for? :confused:

Was he testing me? He was quite serious in his query.

Maybe I read him wrong. But even today many years later I still find that his attitude was different about this. I keep him in my prayerful thoughts often now that he was transferred to a large Archdiocesan Western city in Canada. And of course now that he is Archbishop I keep a picture of him in my bible.
**From the introduction of the Elevation of the Host in the Mass at the beginning of the thirteenth century it seems to have been customary to ring one of the great bells of the church, at any rate during the principal Mass, at the moment when the Sacred Host was raised on high. This was to give warning to the people at work in the fields in order that they might momentarily knell down and make an act of adoration. It seems, however, not improbable that in England the big bell was not commonly rung but that a small hand-bell was used for the purpose. This was taken to a small window (low side window) ordinarily closed by a shutter, thrust through the aperture and rung outside the church. Whether this was distinct from the little bell which the rubrics of the Mass now order to be rung by the server is not quite clear. It may be noted here that in regard to this same tintinnabulum usage varies very much in different countries. In Belgium, France, and some other places, this little bell is rung also at the “little elevation” before the Pater Noster. In Rome it is never rung at the Domino non sum dignus and is not used at all at Masses said by the pope or by cardinals.
Click to expand...
In the rite of the blessing of the bells the verse is applied to them vox Domini in virtue, vox Domini in magnificentiâ (The voice of the Lord is in power; the voice of the Lord in magnificence, Psalm 28:4). It is in no doubt in virtue of the solemnity which they lend to worship that the “Ceremoniale Episcoporum” directs that they are to be rung in honour of the bishop when he visits the church. The same mark of respect is observed in the case of secular princes, while such occasions as processions of the Blessed Sacrament, solemn Te Deums, marriages, and days of national rejoicing are similarly distinguished. On the other hand, in token of mourning the bells are silent from the Gloria of the Mass on Maundy Thursday until the Gloria on Holy Saturday. This rule goes back to the eighth century and Amalrius is authority for the statement that then as now a wooden rattle was used in their place. Again the idea of vox Domini in Virtute in remembrance of their special consecration has led to the bells being rung at times of storm and apprehended danger. The inscription Salva Terra often found in the old bells of the South of France seems to bear special reference to this virtue of the bells as sacramentals.
**
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top