The bells are back!

Original clappers from two of the smaller bells. Notice the
elongation of the holes on the left due to 100 years of wear.

Well, most of them anyway.

You may recall this post of mine from a while back (click here) regarding the silencing of our church's six bells for needed repairs and maintenance -- and how odd it has been around here to not hear them!

Yesterday -- appropriately enough, the Solemnity of the Passing of Our Holy Father Benedict -- four of them were back in service, ringing across the surrounding hills to call us to prayer, and to mark each quarter hour. It was so good to hear them again early yesterday morning that several pleasantly surprised monks stopped in their tracks to listen to them, smiling broadly.

Today, in an electronic newsletter for Archabbey co-workers, Director of Physical Facilities Andy Hagedorn supplied some details, as well as the above photo. He writes:

The Verdin Bell Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, completed the rebuilding of four bells in the south bell tower on Monday. They rebuilt Bell #5 in the north bell tower yesterday [Tuesday]. The bells had been out of service since an inspection on November 22 deemed them in need of significant repair and maintenance. 

I am told that large church bells typically require major repair work and replacement parts about every 100 years. That is about how long they’ve been in service. 

All the bells are getting new clappers (the swinging internal piece that strikes the bell). They also are all getting new clapper springs. These springs soften the blow and limit contact from the clapper, protecting the bell from damage and enhancing the sound. 

We should be good to go now until approximately 2120. Bell #6, which had developed a crack, is still in repair and transport. We hope to have it back in service in the north tower sometime this summer.

The meaning of the Cross for us today

No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed. No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised.

St. Leo the Great

***

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

2 Corinthians 4:7-11

Faith, hope, and love

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

-- Romans 5:1-11