Speaking of Bells

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Phemie

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Are there any rubrics that say how bells should be rung at Consecration?

I was used to the three ring style. The altar servers in our parish keep ringing the 4-bell cluster from the time Father raises the Host or the Chalice until he lowers them. They haven’t been taught differently. Interestingly, when their dad happens to be there and they aren’t we get the three ring style.
 
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Bells aren’t required at all for a valid mass.

If they use them, fine. If not, that’s fine too. They don’t use them at all at my Pittsburgh church.
 
Augustinian said:
Bells aren’t required at all for a valid mass.

If they use them, fine. If not, that’s fine too. They don’t use them at all at my Pittsburgh church.
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I know bells aren’t required. I’m simply interested in knowing if there is a way they should be rung when they are used.
 
I was an altar boy - and it was always three times -
once - for each part - of the Holy trinity !
It was the only time - the Priest had to wait for me 😇
I do wish, however, that the bells were of a slightly higher tone -
 
No, I don’t think there are rubrics on how to ring the bells, beyond this part of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

“150. A little before the Consecration, if appropriate, a minister rings a small bell as a signal to the faithful. The minister also rings the small bell at each elevation by the Priest, according to local custom.
If incense is being used, when the host and the chalice are shown to the people after the Consecration, a minister incenses them.”
 
I’m an altar server! I typically just ring the bells continuously for three long seconds. 😊
 
JohnLilburne said:
No, I don’t think there are rubrics on how to ring the bells, beyond this part of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

“150. A little before the Consecration, if appropriate, a minister rings a small bell as a signal to the faithful. The minister also rings the small bell at each elevation by the Priest, according to local custom.

If incense is being used, when the host and the chalice are shown to the people after the Consecration, a minister incenses them.”
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This is the only rubric for bells at Mass; no mention of how.
 
We push the button on the remote (a converted android phone, I think) to get the machine ready, then another to start the toll at the end of the Hosannah, and then another to ring as the Blessed Mother is petitioned.

🙂

(and 9 times out of 10, the stupid thing works. I think I could have done better on an mac mini, or even an iPhone . . . )

hawk
 
It doesn’t matter. Out of love of the Trinity, most parishes do the 3 ring thing.
In Ireland, they use a gong! Hard to do that 3 times! 😜
 
pianistclare said:
It doesn’t matter. Out of love of the Trinity, most parishes do the 3 ring thing.
In Ireland, they use a gong! Hard to do that 3 times! 😜
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In my teens I used to attend Mass in a parish that used a chime that sounded like a xylophone. Three notes up at the rising of the Host or Chalice and three notes down when they were lowered. Last summer that parish was the only one in my area that had Mass when I got home. I waited for it but no chime (or bell) was heard.
 
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Our parish has a set of gongs - five or six, but small ones. The altar server hits it (just one) thrice for the consecration.

We have bells as well, used on solemnities and feasts. Also thrice shook.
 
My parish also uses a gong and hit it’s hit three times when the priests raises the paten and the chalice.
 
Well we ring it continuously until the priest slowly puts the Body of Christ/chalice filled with the precious blood. Then we ring it again whe n the priest drink the blood after the lamb of God.
 
And by the way we have two bell one bell we shake another we get the one we hit, we hit it three times every elevation
 
If your church uses a gong and a bell, then the tone of the gong should be distinct enough not to be confused with that of the bell. The bell and the gong shall be used to comply with the specifications in Annex II to the GIRM. The bell or gong or both may be replaced by other equipment having the same respective sound characteristics, provided that manual sounding of the prescribed signals shall always be possible.
 
Phemie said:
Are there any rubrics that say how bells should be rung at Consecration?

I was used to the three ring style. The altar servers in our parish keep ringing the 4-bell cluster from the time Father raises the Host or the Chalice until he lowers them. They haven’t been taught differently. Interestingly, when their dad happens to be there and they aren’t we get the three ring style.
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No. There are no such rubrics. It’s left to local custom.
 
Wait are gongs allowed? we have a bell that we toll and a bell that we shake during the consecration and if there is a Gloria we ring it.
 
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