Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-03
EVENING STAR,
BLESSING BELLS TO Krvp n,v1,e

| From the Fresman's (Rnnan Catholic, Joprn,Il
The Right Rev. Bishop Baylev. On
st. Stephens day, blessed fine chine
of bells for the church of the Most HoIv
Redeemer, in Third street. The cere.
mony was performed Immediately after
tho 10 o'clock mass, when that vast
church was crowded from the steps of
the altar to the very door. Capt. Smith,
with his company of Independent Rifles,
was IN attendance as guard of honor.
A number of the members of the congre.
gation, who had been most active in pro
curing these bells, had their places i'm
mediatly by the bells.
The bells are four in number, and are
the chime sent from Germany TO the
Worlds Fair in this city. The largest
of the four, which weighs about 1900
pounds, was dedicated in honor of St.
Michael; the second was in honor of St
Gabriel, the third in size was dedicated
to st. Raphael, and the fourth to St. AL
phonsus. They are of the best metal
and of the finest workmanship. Each
bell has sacred inscriptions and images
cast IN the metal. The bells were convc-
nlentiy hung, in obedience to the pontif-
cal, in the space in front of the altar
railing. The bishop, in full pontificals,
entered the church attended by the priests
and acolytes, with incense, lights, &c.
They chanted the Miserere, and the SD,
Sc, 66, 69th, and S5th psalms, with the
De Profundis.
Then the bishop blessed salt and wa
ter, saying afterwards the prayer, that
when the bills should be bathed there.
with, whensoever they should sound, the
power of devils, the shades of phantasms,
the attack of mobs, the striking of light
nlngs, the shock of thunders, the ruin of
tempests, and every spirit of the storms,
might be driven back; and that, when
the children of Christian people should
hear them ringing, the increase of devo.
ton might grow in them, that, fastening
within the bosom of their mother church,
they may sing to God, in the church of
the saints, the new song, coming thither
with the sound Of the trumpet, the modu.
lation of psaltery, the sweetness of the
organ, the e1ulation of the drum, the
gladness of the cymbal; 80 that, in the
temple of his glory, by their pleadings
and prayers, they may invite the multi
tude of the army of angels.
Then the salt being mixed with the
water, with the special prayers of the
pontltical, the bishop began to bathe the
bells Herewith. When this was done,
the bishop with the priests chanted the
Psalm
"haudi anima mea, laudate Dominum
quoniam bonus, Laudate Dominum de
coelis, cantate domino" Then followed
the psalm {" Laudate Dominum in sanctis
suis."
Then the bishop, with the thumb of his
right hand, made the sign of the cross
on each bell with the holy oil, iuRamorun.,
and said the prayer invoking the same
supernatural effects or terrsr to the devil
and his servants, and of comfort and good
inspiration to the people Of God, where
ever the sound Of these bells should be
heard. Then wiping off the oil with
lint, he began the antiphon, "Vox Dom
lnl super aquas nultaS," and, with the
priests, chanted the x1viiith Psalm
meantime the bishop made seven crosses
on the outside Of each bell with the same
oil of the intirm, and four crosses with
the chrism on four sides OF each, saving
at each time: May this bell, 0 Lord,
be sanctified and consecrated, in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost" In honor of St.
Michael, for the first bell, and SC in honor
OF each patron of the other bells, respec.
lively, Ia their turn, Then followed an
other prayer of blessing for the commun-
lcatlon OF power against the spirits of the
air from the beautiful order of the Pom
titical, when taking thyme, frakincense,
and myrrh, he put it in censers. and
placed these under each of the bells.
The verses, "Viderunt te acoua
Deus, &c, were sung from Psalm lxIvi.,
and the bishop said the closing PRAYER,
that, Like as the Holy Ghost came down
in delight upon the harp of David and
as, while Samuel offered the sucking
lamb holocaust to the King of Eternal
Dominion, the thunder of the heavens
repulsed the hosts of the enemy, 90
while the sound of these bells shall pass
through the air, the angelic hand NAV
guard the congregation of the church,
and perpetual protection keep the minds,
the bodies, and the possessions of be-
levers.
Finall y, the deacon the Gospel, from
the 10th chapter of st. Luke, of Mary
who chose the one thing necessarv-ss
II giving the constant mission to the
bells OF awakening the attention of all.
while engrossed in the cares of the world
to remember that their chief good is in
the church.