The Clang of Church Bells, What Does It Mean?

Hearing the chimes all day long is a common occurrence when entering a Catholic Church. In general, bells are made to mark time. In the Catholic Church, the bells will often ring several times at three specific moments of the day.

The chimes remind of an ancient Catholic Church tradition of prayer. This prayer is known as the 'Angelus' prayer or the 'Angel of God'. The prayer name 'Angelus' comes from the first word in the Latin prayer 'Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ' (Angel of God revealed to Mary). It is a prayer that reminds the people of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and invokes the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the process.

The tradition of ringing the bells originates from the monastic tradition of calling monks to prayer. Over the centuries, monks and nuns have adopted the habit of praying several times a day. This custom arose based on Jewish practice found in the Old Testament.

The writer of the Psalms proclaimed, “In the evening, morning, and in the middle of my heart I was anxious and weeping; and He heard my voice. " (Psalm 55:17). As a result, the Jews started the tradition of praying three days a day, namely in the morning, afternoon and evening. Later the early Christians continued this practice and over time it became a habit to pray “Angelus” which is recited at 6.00 am, 12.00 pm, and 6.00 pm. At that time, the church bells will ring the longest.

The bells will often ring in a certain pattern, to give an idea of how to pray. This pattern is often the following set of fuses: 3-3-3-9. This pattern corresponds to four sets of prayers including the 'Angelus'. While there isn't enough time for prayer amidst the roar of the modern bell ringing system, it is a good reminder of ancient prayer.

Below is a prayer by the Angel of God which has been prayed over most of the year and is replaced by a 'Regina Caeli' (Queen of Heaven) during the Easter season.