Church bells call us to prayer and witness to the presence of the church in the community. Church bells are so important that they traditionally undergo special prayers and exorcisms at their installation.
While we were ringing the Angelus during the lockdown periods, the bell has since fallen silent needing to undergo some repairs. Many people in the surrounding suburb, including non-Catholics, let us know how much they appreciated being able to hear the church bell.
We have taken this opportunity to undertake significant restoration to ensure the bell continues into the next generations and upgrade the equipment to toll the bell automatically. We will soon hear the bell again calling people to Mass and prayer with the ringing of the Angelus three times a day.
The bell restoration takes place in two stages. First a frame is built around the bell to support it in its place in the tower. Then the metal fittings holding the bell to the central tower beam are removed and taken away. These fittings were originally made from iron and over the almost 100 years they have been there become rusty. New fittings are then fabricated from stainless steel, and as such will last much longer.
In the second stage, the new stainless steel fittings are used to secure the bell to the central beam again and then an automatic tolling device is attached to the bell. This device has been ordered and is on the way from Europe. This allows the bell to be struck according to a timer. At this time the manual toller is repaired to also allow the bell to be rung manually. The frame holding the bell is then removed and the ringing of the bell will be heard again!
We are grateful for all who give to the parish making works such as the restoration and upgrade of the bell possible.