Sanctus Bells: Free Booklet I Prepared

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Matthaeus

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If you like bells as much as I do – particularly Sanctus bells, please take a moment and download a copy of the monograph I have written on the history and use of Sanctus bells in the Catholic Church:

geocities.com/sanctusbells/

If you wish to (re)introduce Sanctus bells to your parish, I suggest you print the booklet (or have someplace like FedEx/Kinko’s do it for you) along with the cover letter I have also placed on the above site and send them to your pastor.

I believe the monograph is well crafted. It relies on Church documents like the GIRM, the Bible and some pretty good Catholic scholarship, rather than personal opinion. It also looks quite snazzy when printed-out, folded and stapled in a booklet format.

Also, please let me know what you think. Feedback is deeply appreciated. Thanks, and Merry Christmas.
 
Nice piece of work. We just decided to return the bells at my parish beginning on the Christmas Vigil. So even though I don’t need it now, I am happy to archive it for future reference. Thanks.
 
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Stu:
Nice piece of work. We just decided to return the bells at my parish beginning on the Christmas Vigil. So even though I don’t need it now, I am happy to archive it for future reference. Thanks.
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Thank you very much. Once you read the monograph, I would appreciate any feedback you might have.

While the decision to use Sanctus bells during the Novus Ordo Mass is ultimately up to the individual celebrant, this booklet will shut-down those who perpetuate falsehoods about Sanctus bells.

It is my sincere hope that Catholics will use this booklet as resource to help (re)introduce Sanctus bells into their parishes.

Merry Christmas
 
As of 11:05 this morning, the booklet is unavailable. (Error message). I’ll try again later.

So where in the central coast are you located? I grew up in Cambria and spent many years over in Creston/Paso Robles.
 
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BrianDay:
As of 11:05 this morning, the booklet is unavailable. (Error message). I’ll try again later.

So where in the central coast are you located? I grew up in Cambria and spent many years over in Creston/Paso Robles.
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Yahoo/Geocities limits the amount of bandwidth they allow. Just try again a bit later. Everything should work just fine.

I live in San Luis Obispo. My ancestors arrived here in 1832.

Please let me know what you think of the monograph.

Merry Christmas
 
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Matthaeus:
If you like bells as much as I do – particularly Sanctus bells, please take a moment and download a copy of the monograph I have written on the history and use of Sanctus bells in the Catholic Church:

geocities.com/sanctusbells/

If you wish to (re)introduce Sanctus bells to your parish, I suggest you print the booklet (or have someplace like FedEx/Kinko’s do it for you) along with the cover letter I have also placed on the above site and send them to your pastor.

I believe the monograph is well crafted. It relies on Church documents like the GIRM, the Bible and some pretty good Catholic scholarship, rather than personal opinion. It also looks quite snazzy when printed-out, folded and stapled in a booklet format.

Also, please let me know what you think. Feedback is deeply appreciated. Thanks, and Merry Christmas.
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That is an awesome little treatise. I had no idea there was so much information on the subject.

How long did it take you to write? I just printed a copy. After I study it, I am going to forward it to my pastor with a cover letter.

This is really great. Thanks for your good work.
 
My timing must be horrible. I’ve tried to download the booklet five times now, each time getting the error message or the exceeded bandwidth notice.😦
 
My pastor says that Bells are a monastic tradition. My best guess is that the practice was grafted in as the church moved westward throughout the world. SOmething to think about as we adopt new customs like Singing fancy songs and saying mass in English.
 
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Bill_A:
My pastor says that Bells are a monastic tradition. My best guess is that the practice was grafted in as the church moved westward throughout the world. SOmething to think about as we adopt new customs like Singing fancy songs and saying mass in English.
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Your pastor is mistaken.

Bells came to the Church from Judaic and pagen sources. Their use within the Church began in the West (by Bp. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, Italy, c 400 AD) and migrated eastward.

This migration was no doubt helped by the monasteries (they used bells to call people to Mass, prayer, meals, work, etc.), but the use of bells did not originate in the monasteries.

While this monograph is limited to Sanctus bells, I hope it can dispel some of these baseless legends that surround the history of bells in the Church.
 
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BrianDay:
My timing must be horrible. I’ve tried to download the booklet five times now, each time getting the error message or the exceeded bandwidth notice.😦
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Privately message your e-mail address if you want and I will send you a copy. It will be a 3.5MB attachment in Adobe PDF.
 
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Franciscum:
That is an awesome little treatise. I had no idea there was so much information on the subject.

How long did it take you to write? I just printed a copy. After I study it, I am going to forward it to my pastor with a cover letter.

This is really great. Thanks for your good work.
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Thanks for your comments.

It took a long weekend, and weeks of “polishing” for 10 minutes at a time.
 
Can you recommend a high quality brand of Sanctus bells? What are the things to watch out for when buying a set?
 
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Franciscum:
Can you recommend a high quality brand of Sanctus bells? What are the things to watch out for when buying a set?
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In terms of material, the best Sanctus bells (handheld or tower bells) are cast from bronze. Bronze is an alloy of about 80% copper and 20% tin. Its sonic quality is far superior to that of brass (80% copper and 20% zinc.)

Cheap cast iron and stamped steel bells should be avoided, along with cutesy glass bells. None produce the right sound.

Gongs, bongos, xylophones, kazoos and other noise-makers are never acceptable substitutes for a proper set of Sanctus bells.

My own personal set came from the Progressive Bronze Works in Chicago and they are adequate.

Merry Christmas
 
You might also ask about buying used Sanctus bells from those parishes that are dead-set against using them. Better to place them in a good home than have them end-up in the smelter – or in somebody’s garage.

It’s interesting to note that Sanctus bells typically fetch a high price on eBay…
 
You might also ask about buying used Sanctus bells from those parishes that are dead-set against using them. Better to place them in a good home than have them end-up in the smelter – or in somebody’s garage.

It’s interesting to note that Sanctus bells typically fetch a high price on eBay…

[If anyone is having trouble downloading my monograph, please drop me a private message with your e-mail address and I will send you a copy in Adobe PDF.]
 
I’m curious. Do most of your parishes employ the ringing of Sanctus bells during the celebration of the Mass?

If not, how come?
 
You guys are no fun…

I was hoping to get some critical feedback on my work and not a single critique via this forum.

And no (name removed by moderator)ut on the status of Sanctus bell use in your respective parishes either.

Help me out, puhleeeeze! Some confused Benedictine brother just called Sanctus bells “archaic” in our diocesan newspaper and I would hate for his personal opinion to take root.
 
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Matthaeus:
I’m curious. Do most of your parishes employ the ringing of Sanctus bells during the celebration of the Mass?

If not, how come?
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At my home parish, a solitary but ornate brass bell was installed at the rear of the new sanctuary, but is never used unless the 98 year old Monsignor celebrates Mass. On occasion, a visiting priest may ask the altar servers to ring handheld bells, but the visiting priests who wish to use Sanctus bells almost always offer Prex I and the poor altar servers get confused. Particularly when said priests pray Prex I in Latin :bounce:

There’s a similar story at the Chant Mass at GU. Although our community is technically an extension of St. Aloysius Gonzaga parish, none of the parish priests celebrate our Masses. We have a cycle of Jesuits and diocesan clergy from all over the city of Spokane. Only one diocesan priest (the one who made a trek to a small shop in Rome just to procure beautiful vestments, owns the most beautiful chalice I have ever seen, and is the only one who doesn’t mess with the rubrics) permits the use of Sanctus bells. The Jesuits avoid them like the plague. Big surprise :bigyikes:
 
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Matthaeus:
I’m curious. Do most of your parishes employ the ringing of Sanctus bells during the celebration of the Mass?

If not, how come?
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Not at our Cathedral… yet 😉

Our priests are not opposed to them, however they are newly assigned here and the culture of the parish has been drifting towards progressive status for many years (thankfully not too far… just wandering down the hill towards the Sea of Modernity). I am afraid that most of the laity that are active on the parish boards and such will have to be led carefully back in line.

But give it time – I predict within a few years we will have at least the handheld bells back at the Cathedral again. 🙂

+veritas+
 
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