On Sunday, September 25, at 10 a.m., our Seminarian from St. Stephen’s House in Oxford, Josie Godfrey, considers the sacramental nature of bells, questioning what really takes place in the rite known as the Baptism of Bells to come to an understanding of whether church bells are dedicated, blessed, or consecrated and what this means for how we should use them.
We explore the physical and mental elements of this unique style of bell ringing, as well as an overview of the development of the bell from the 17th century right up to the present day, when bells have just been rung ‘fully muffled’ for the first time in 60 years, for the death of the Queen.
Although most of the bells hung in this special way are located in England, the art of change ringing has also spread overseas, and there are over 50 towers in North America, including one in New York!
