Those Little Bells

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PrairieMom

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I’ve been trying to figure something out for awhile now, but I don’t even know what they’re called to try searching the forums.

You know, those little bells that the altar server rings during the consecration (but not always… lots of parishes don’t seem to do it)? What are they called? And why do they ring them?

I’ve been telling my girls that they’re angels bells for lack of anything better, but I wanted to know the correct thing to tell them.

Thanks!
 
PrairieMom said:
I’ve been trying to figure something out for awhile now, but I don’t even know what they’re called to try searching the forums.

You know, those little bells that the altar server rings during the consecration (but not always… lots of parishes don’t seem to do it)? What are they called? And why do they ring them?

I’ve been telling my girls that they’re angels bells for lack of anything better, but I wanted to know the correct thing to tell them.

Thanks!
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They are called by several different names:
a) altar bells
b) sanctus bells -

from the first Latin word of the “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God, etc.”. Formerly (and still in Latin Masses celebrated according to 1962 missal) the bell was rung thrice at this point as well - once for each “Holy”

c) sacring bells

This derives from the practice of ringing them after each Consecration. ‘Sacring’ is an archaic word for consecration. However, the term is not restricted to the small bells but can be used more generally for any bells, including tower bells, rung at the elevations.

The Angelus bell is a bell that rings at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. (or approx. those times - some ring morning, noon and evening). The ringing is a signal to recite the Angelus (from the first words of the prayer in Latin “Angelus Domini”, “The angel of the Lord”)
 
They are derived from the giant church bells on the old churches. It used to be that they would ring the church bell when the bread + wine were consecrated, so that all those who were outside would know. Through time, it went from that, to smaller bells, like the ones today, but they are still rung when the Host and Wine are consecrated.
 
Generally, they are called sanctus bells.

They were originally rung to let the tower bell ringers know to ring the bells, which was done to let people who were not at Church was was happening at that point.

With the multiplication of low masses, especially in monasteries, the connection between the sanctus bells and tower bells got broken.
 
The altar bell is rung at two points during Mass at my parish. It is first rung very quickly at the Epiclisis(When the priest lays his hands over the bread and wine) and then at the consecration. I suppose the ringing of the bells at the consecration is used indicate Christ becoming present and maybe also as a sign of respect.
 
jayk15 said:
The altar bell is rung at two points during Mass at my parish. It is first rung very quickly at the Epiclisis(When the priest lays his hands over the bread and wine) and then at the consecration. I suppose the ringing of the bells at the consecration is used indicate Christ becoming present and maybe also as a sign of respect.
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one of the parishes in my cluster rings the sanctus bells as noted above (the epiclisis and the elevation of the bread and wine)
 
My parish as well, does them at those times (though I didn’t know that first one was called the Epiclisis–learn new things every day!). The priest said they should serve to bring one’s attention to what is happening at that point in the Mass, especially if one’s mind is wandering. :o
 
i truly miss them. in my parish we used to have them. this new priest came and did away with it.
 
They’re called either the sanctus bells, the altar bells, or just simply the bells. They are to be rung three times at the sanctus (“holy”), once at the epiclesis (when the priest extends his hands over the bread and wine), three times at each elevation (of the Body and Blood), and once when the priest drinks from the chalice. The latter is to signal people that they can start coming up for Communion, the others are to signal other important events. Originally the altar bells were designed to signal the ringer in the bell-tower to ring the bell at the elevations, since in the west, the Eucharistic Prayer was (and in the EF still is) said silently. the other uses probably came later. In the east, the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) was never silent and is to be chanted, so they never needed bells and still don’t use them. The problem is, most western parishes don’t know their own culture (:banghead:) and have very watered-down liturgies.
 
PrairieMom said:
I’ve been trying to figure something out for awhile now, but I don’t even know what they’re called to try searching the forums.

You know, those little bells that the altar server rings during the consecration (but not always… lots of parishes don’t seem to do it)? What are they called? And why do they ring them?

I’ve been telling my girls that they’re angels bells for lack of anything better, but I wanted to know the correct thing to tell them.

Thanks!/QUOTE
The bells are rung to bring the congregations attention to the Consecration.
The pastor has the option of their usage. Some use them some don’t.
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\In the east, the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) was never silent and is to be chanted, so they never needed bells and still don’t use them\

**Not quite true.

Strictly interpreted, the rubrics of the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil call for only the Words of Institution and a few other exclamations to be said aloud, but I definitely feel that there is great spiritual value in having the Anaphora said or chanted aloud.

And the Russian rubrics call for the tower bells to be rung in different ways at these exclamations to let those not at church know what point the Liturgy has reached.**
 
bpbasilphx said:
\In the east, the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) was never silent and is to be chanted, so they never needed bells and still don’t use them\

**Not quite true.

Strictly interpreted, the rubrics of the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil call for only the Words of Institution and a few other exclamations to be said aloud, but I definitely feel that there is great spiritual value in having the Anaphora said or chanted aloud.

And the Russian rubrics call for the tower bells to be rung in different ways at these exclamations to let those not at church know what point the Liturgy has reached.**
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GRIM page 63 # 150 “A little before the consencration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful. According to local customs, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice.”
This is published by the Conference of Catholic Bishops. Do you have a revised edition, if not I assert my informatiion to be factual.
 
youngsaint said:
They are derived from the giant church bells on the old churches. It used to be that they would ring the church bell when the bread + wine were consecrated, so that all those who were outside would know. Through time, it went from that, to smaller bells, like the ones today, but they are still rung when the Host and Wine are consecrated.
Click to expand...
They were not just derived from those bells, but used in conjunction with them. They were the signal for the guy manning the bell ropes to start ringing the big bells.

And that let all those in the village who could not make Mass know that the consecration was happeing. It was a time to stop what you were doing and say a small prayer. My uncle rang the Church bells in his village in Ireland. He would listen for the cue and ring the bells. The farmers in the fields, and my grandmother in her house, would stop and say a small prayer.

The bells would also be rung at noon and 6 pm for the Angelus.
 
thomas_jd said:
GRIM page 63 # 150 “A little before the consencration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful. According to local customs, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice.”
This is published by the Conference of Catholic Bishops. Do you have a revised edition, if not I assert my informatiion to be factual.
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I was talking about what goes on in Eastern Churches, specifically the Russian Orthodox and Russian Catholic Churches.

The Latin Church is not the complete Catholic Church, but only one of the over 20 sui juris Churhes in the Catholic Church.
 
bpbasilphx said:
I was talking about what goes on in Eastern Churches, specifically the Russian Orthodox and Russian Catholic Churches.

The Latin Church is not the complete Catholic Church, but only one of the over 20 sui juris Churhes in the Catholic Church.
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I would suggest that before you correct someone regarding the rubrics, you inform them that you are not taking into consideration the published General Instruction of the Roman Missal. Again the decision is the pastors.
 
thomas_jd said:
I would suggest that before you correct someone regarding the rubrics, you inform them that you are not taking into consideration the published General Instruction of the Roman Missal. Again the decision is the pastors.
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When I said “Russian Church,” what did you think I meant?

I suggest you not impose the GIRM on non-Roman rites or Churches.

I would also suggest you not view the Latin Church as the entirety, or even the standard, of the Catholic Church.
 
bpbasilphx said:
When I said “Russian Church,” what did you think I meant?

I suggest you not impose the GIRM on non-Roman rites or Churches.

I would also suggest you not view the Latin Church as the entirety, or even the standard, of the Catholic Church.
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When answering a particular question “those little bells that the alter server rings during consecration.” why do you feel it appropriate to state that the Russian Church, Eastern Church,or any of the other rites mentioned do not use the Bells?
It is obvious that the church in question was a Latin Church. I answered the question without any comment on churches that do not use bells at the consecration.
It seems that you obviously have a real problem with the Roman perception of the Eastern Church, yet you could never deduce that from my statement.

I would suggest that this is not the place or proper format to take umbrage on imagined
slights. I would also suggest you not view the Russian Church as the entirety, or even the standard of the Catholic Church.
Pay attention to the question asked and view the response in its entirety, before taking a untenable position.
The woman asked for clarification, to instruct her girls. Perhaps , next time some of your energy could have been put to a CONSTRUCTIVE USE!
 
\When answering a particular question “those little bells that the alter server rings during consecration.” why do you feel it appropriate to state that the Russian Church, Eastern Church,or any of the other rites mentioned do not use the Bells?\

**It was in the context of replying to a poster who said that the anaphorai in the Eastern Churches were said aloud, which is not quite the point.

And my point is that bells are not limited to the Latin Church.**

//It seems that you obviously have a real problem with the Roman perception of the Eastern Church, yet you could never deduce that from my statement.//

Of course, I have a problem with the attitude Latins have shown in centuries past towards Eastern Christianity. Despite the correction made by V2, remnants of this attitude remain, as can seen in many places on these fora such as in your posts here.

//I would suggest that this is not the place or proper format to take umbrage on imagined
slights. //

I’m not the one in a snit about being disagreed with, or who originally made an attack statement.

||I would also suggest you not view the Russian Church as the entirety, or even the standard of the Catholic Church//

I never did. But YOU are clearlly taking the attitude you accuse me of–that is, assuming that the Roman Church is intrinsically superior, or the default, of the Catholic Church.
 
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