Blessing
In some liturgical churches, bells are blessed before they are hung.
In the Roman Catholic Church the name Baptism of Bells has been given to the ceremonial blessing of church bells, at least in France, since the eleventh century. It is derived from the washing of the bell with holy water by the bishop, before he anoints it with the oil of the infirm without and with chrism within; a fuming censer is placed under it and the bishop prays that these sacramentals of the Church may, at the sound of the bell, put the demons to flight, protect from storms, and call the faithful to prayer.
In the Orthodox Church the ceremony is even more elaborate.
Read more about this topic: Church Bell
Famous quotes containing the word blessing:
“Without the blessing of cowardice, the world would long since have been torn to bits.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“The blessing of life as a whole ... can never be found in work.”
—Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)
“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up
his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from
the God of his salvation.”
—Bible: Hebrew Psalm XXIV (l. XXIV, 4–5)