Use of Sanctus Bells?

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Crusader:
Do you think Sanctus bells should be rung during the Mass as allowed by the GIRM?
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They are never run in our parish and I miss it.
 
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Stu:
Do you have a good source for this? I am about to take this cause on within my church and already know I am going to get some flak from some within the educational realm. In discussing this with our CCD director, she commented that bringing the bells back would require education to the kids on what they meant as if that was some sort of reason not to. I responded with “Well that will be your job!” and she wasn’t too pleased.

I just don’t understand what the apprehension is

Thanks.
Stu.
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I suppose the others are correct in advising that you go through your pastor, but what a CCD director! I’m guessing that this isn’t the only issue that the children (or adults) need work on…If you’re successful in getting this implemented, perhaps your parish can do a mini-course on the liturgy and explain the bells, etc…This would be very helpful at my parish for sure!
 
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Crusader:
Stu;

Keep in mind that the use of sanctus bells during the Mass is seen as extremely retrogressive by some “progressive” (albiet ignorant) Catholics. Conversely, the bells are also viewed as a good housekeeping seal of sorts by some of the more traditional crowd.

To many (particularly those on either fringe) the bells’ symbolic value is important. The manuevering to bring-back or trash the bells can be quite harsh in some parishes.

I once did some statistical sampling at my parish and about 94% of the parishioners said they wanted the bells back. Make sure your ducks are in a row before you ask your pastor…

General Instruction of the Roman Missal #150. "A little before the consecration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful. According to local custom, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice."
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I had planned to go to Father all along using the GIRM to make my case. I had only mentioned it to the CCD director in passing conversation after Mass over coffee and donuts.

I am taking over lead on the altar servers and have starting serving myself to “refresh” a bit before I start leading the youngsters. The altar servers have come a long way but they continue to need polish. Anyway, Father was so pleased with my by the book performance (and that of my son who was serving with me) that I think I will be able to have some influence with him. My selling point on some of the changes I want to make (like the bells) is that he should let me help him with the discipline of the Mass and finer points of the Mass which would free him up to concentrate on the spiritual. It seems to me that the good discipline will only enhance the spiritual part.
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Confiteor:
I suppose the others are correct in advising that you go through your pastor, but what a CCD director! I’m guessing that this isn’t the only issue that the children (or adults) need work on…If you’re successful in getting this implemented, perhaps your parish can do a mini-course on the liturgy and explain the bells, etc…This would be very helpful at my parish for sure!
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Certainly mine. I have actually also proposed a weekly apologetic/liturgy/rubrics column for the bulletin to cover this area as well. Still waiting for an answer.

No matter how all this goes, at this point in my life I feel as though I am being called towards becoming a deacon. So this is all good practice for when I can make this happen. Thanks all for the advice.
 
**An interesting experience…While attending Masses celebrated by Fr. Apostoli, at the Catholic Market Network Trade Show, I could swear I heard the bells when Father elevated the Body and Precious Blood…He held them aloft for a very long time, and I heard the bells the entire time…THERE WERE NO BELLS. **
 
A PS to my previous post…

**I have been a Catholic in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati since 1985…I cannot remember hearing the bells anywhere…except maybe once, and I’m not sure of that memory at all. Our archdiocese is pretty liberal, and the bells are, I’m sure, seen as something “old”, and therefore to be avoided. I personally love to hear them. **

Oh…I have atteneded Tridentine Masses around here, and of course the bells are rung there…A wonderful sound, indeed!
 
Here’s a cute story for you:

I invited my Morman friend to Mass one evening as we were going out to have coffee afterwards.
I was standing in the back of the Chapel, as the sacristan this is where I stood. My friend was in the back row and just followed everyone’s postures etc.
We had a wonderful associate at that time who used the bells and sung the Agnus Dei in Latin.
She had her head bowed down in prayer and when the bells rang, her head popped rather quickly.
After Mass she asked me about the bells and said she knew there was something very important going on but didn’t know what it was. Her curiosity on this alone led her to Christ.
 
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Hudsonite:
Here’s a cute story for you:

I invited my Morman friend to Mass one evening as we were going out to have coffee afterwards.
I was standing in the back of the Chapel, as the sacristan this is where I stood. My friend was in the back row and just followed everyone’s postures etc.
We had a wonderful associate at that time who used the bells and sung the Agnus Dei in Latin.
She had her head bowed down in prayer and when the bells rang, her head popped rather quickly.
After Mass she asked me about the bells and said she knew there was something very important going on but didn’t know what it was. Her curiosity on this alone led her to Christ.
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That’s an awesome story…
 
I was on vacation this past week and yesterday attended Mass at SanBuenaventura Mission in Ventura, Ca. I must say knowing I was in the Los Angeles Diocese, I anticipated the worst.

What a pleasant surprise I had. For one thing there were sanctus bells - horrah. Other things that thrilled me was to see the altar rails still in place, though not used for communion. I saw nuns in full habits - horrah. There was no hand holding during the Pater Noster. The choir sang in the choir loft.

A few people actually knelt on the floor to receive communion.
Communion by the way was offered in one species only - how much simpler that is.

The Mass was well conducted in every way.

There were all female altar servers and readers but they were all young women from the Catholic School associated with the mission - in uniforms except for the altar servers who were dressed as traditional altar boys would be. Maybe it is an all girl’s school, I don’t know. But they knew when to ring the santus bells.
 
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deogratias:
I was on vacation this past week and yesterday attended Mass at SanBuenaventura Mission in Ventura, Ca. I must say knowing I was in the Los Angeles Diocese, I anticipated the worst.

What a pleasant surprise I had. For one thing there were sanctus bells - horrah. Other things that thrilled me was to see the altar rails still in place, though not used for communion. I saw nuns in full habits - horrah. There was no hand holding during the Pater Noster. The choir sang in the choir loft.

A few people actually knelt on the floor to receive communion.
Communion by the way was offered in one species only - how much simpler that is.

The Mass was well conducted in every way.

There were all female altar servers and readers but they were all young women from the Catholic School associated with the mission - in uniforms except for the altar servers who were dressed as traditional altar boys would be. Maybe it is an all girl’s school, I don’t know. But they knew when to ring the santus bells.
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1.) LA is an archdiocese – by far the largest in the USA.

2.) Being historical landmarks, most of the Alta California Missions still have their altar railings.

3.) I hope those people that felt the need to keel will receive counseling on their defiance or ignorance per the GIRM.
 
I wonder if you are old enough to remember that old Johnny Mercer Song called Accentuate the Positive.

You’ve got to accentuate the positive

** Eliminate the negative**

** Latch on to the affirmative **

Don’t mess with Mister In-Between

**You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum **

**Bring gloom down to the minimum **

Have faith or pandemonium

** Liable to walk upon the scene**

**To illustrate **

**this last remark **

**Jonah in the whale, **

**Noah in the ark **

**What did they do **

Just when everything looked so dark

**Man, they said we better Accentuate the positive **

Eliminate the negative

** Latch on to the affirmative **

**Don’t mess with Mister In-Between **

**No, do not mess with Mister In-Between **

Do you hear me, hmm?

So I doubt that this priest ran up to the persons who knealt, and cuffed them by the collar and told them “don’t kneel to receive communion again”. It did not seem this kindly old priest would do that. Probably a good many of those there were, like me, visitors to the beach. If those persons were regulars, then I am sure it would not be the first time they knealt. Interestingly, one was an old lady, more likely to be a regular there and the other was a young man with a braided beard and a pigtail down his back. Quite the contrast.

Anyway I tried to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative in my post since I don’t regularly attend the Novos ordo Mass but I see you always take exception to anything I post anyway.
 
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deogratias:
So I doubt that this priest ran up to the persons who knealt, and cuffed them by the collar and told them “don’t kneel to receive communion again”. It did not seem this kindly old priest would do that. Probably a good many of those there were, like me, visitors to the beach. If those persons were regulars, then I am sure it would not be the first time they knealt. Interestingly, one was an old lady, more likely to be a regular there and the other was a young man with a braided beard and a pigtail down his back. Quite the contrast.
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Your posting is a perfect example were a self-described “traditional Catholic” chooses his own desires over that of the Church. Very heterodox.

Standing is the directed way to receive communion in the USA in the Novus Ordo Mass. It even suggests that those who insist on kneeling receive pastoral counseling on the matter. (Your comments on the running and cuffing are nothing but spin.)

So while you find it virtuous that some still kneel to receive communion during the Novus Ordo Mass, the Church does not.
 
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The charity level of this discussion appears to be deteriorating. Please self-edit for tone and content. If the charity level does not improve, this thread will have to be locked. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
 
I can’t really answer this question. I never heard “sanctus bells” before. Do they have them on EWTN when they do the daily mass show? If that is what we are talking about, I would say no, they are too annoying sounding. But maybe they are differant in real life so who knows?
 
I personally do not find them annoying but perhaps it is because I associate them with the holiness they are calling to our attention. I think they are more subtle in life than magnified by television sound systems.
 
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Jermosh:
I can’t really answer this question. I never heard “sanctus bells” before. Do they have them on EWTN when they do the daily mass show? If that is what we are talking about, I would say no, they are too annoying sounding. But maybe they are differant in real life so who knows?
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Yes, they ring them at every Mass – right at the epiclesis, at the elevation of the Host and chalice and as the celebrant consumes the Precious Blood.
 
How wonderful it would be to hear the bells again, but alas the liberal church I attend doesn’t even any bells to ring if they wanted too. I was told the bells were no longer required “In the spirit of Vatican II” :banghead:

On Holy Thursday families are encourged to have their children bring bells to ring during the celebration of the last supper …:crying:

In His peace!
 
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Sir_Hubert:
How wonderful it would be to hear the bells again, but alas the liberal church I attend doesn’t even any bells to ring if they wanted too. I was told the bells were no longer required “In the spirit of Vatican II” :banghead:

On Holy Thursday families are encourged to have their children bring bells to ring during the celebration of the last supper …:crying:

In His peace!
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Whenever I see that excuse, the entire statement becomes suspect.
 
I understand that people may think that the bells are no longer necessary in today’s modern churches and with the vernacular liturgy They claim that the bells were used to indicate to those who did not know Latin when transubstantiation was taking place. I personally think this argument is bunk because there are people who have no clue as to the when, what, and why of transubstantiation.

I think that churches should go *beyond *just letting the congregation know when the Lord is present. They should use the main church bells to let the whole neighborhood know that the Lord is present.
 
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pprimeau1976:
I understand that people may think that the bells are no longer necessary in today’s modern churches and with the vernacular liturgy They claim that the bells were used to indicate to those who did not know Latin when transubstantiation was taking place. I personally think this argument is bunk because there are people who have no clue as to the when, what, and why of transubstantiation.

I think that churches should go *beyond *just letting the congregation know when the Lord is present. They should use the main church bells to let the whole neighborhood know that the Lord is present.
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Sanctus bell were (and in some cases still are) large tower bells – typically the largest bell in the belfry.
 
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