The Arizona champion., 1889-11-23
THE BLESSING OF THE BELL
of Father Ferrari.-An Address by Dr. Brannen.
(CommunicatSd.l

church was blessed, preparatory tC being placed in the church tower The ceremony was most interesting new to some, but impressive to those who comprehended its meaning.
 1 The bell is from the foundry ot McShane G Go, Baltimore, Md. Il weighs nearly eleven hundred pounds | On its outside, inscribed in golden letters, is the following latin verse Stella vot,r BetAleeu, voce int.y siaeyG 1 eidm mlS.
 Laus DeO IT -.reeksis par AominiqHe 6ons This translated means:
 1 am called the Star of Bethlem,
 And amongst the stars I ring:
 "Glory to God in High,
 Peace and good will to men,"
 The bell was placed at the foot oi tue tower in which it is to be sus pended. It was, as if animated with life but as yet unable to speak for itself, decked with flowers and surrounded by eight sponsors, hold ing ribbons ill their hands, which were attached to the bell. They were to be the witnesses of its bless ing and represented the entire con- gregation. The sponsors were Mrs. D. Babbitt, Mrs. Wm. Carroll, Mrs. T. F. McMillcn, Mrs. J. Derr, Mr. T. Riordan, Mr. r. J. Brannen, Mr. Bd. McGonideand Mir. J. F. Hawks.
 At three o'clock the reverend father, roJed in the vestmeuts of his office, commenced the ceremony. A large gathering had assembled in ront of the church, and with good decorum witnessed the blessing, at the conclusion the bell was set in motion and gave forth its sweet mucical peal. Having performed the ceremony, Father Ferrari stepp- ed to the front of the platform on which tie bell restei, and said
 "-After four months of expectation, to day We ses realized, through your generous correspondence, our earnest desire. We have just blessed and anoint-d the bell which Is to adorn this church, whose sound will re echo through these hills and call you to come and unite in prayer and adore your fte,leamer; which will ill future ling the joyful peal at the marriage ceremony, and intoAe the sad solemn funeral knell as we follow our friends to the grave; and the ceremony which You have just witnessed Is no vain or empty rite, but preigures the sacred duty which this bell will pef- form. It is the custom in the Catholic church to purify by blessing everything connected with or per taining to the divine worship, and the blessing becomes more solemn accordingly as the object is more in timately connectel with the service of God. The use of the bells in the divine worship is older than Christi anity, they replaced the silver trum- pets ordered Cy Moses to be made and blown to call the once chosen people to come and unite in the worship of the most High. They fulfill the duty once performed by the gougs and cymbals around the walls of Jericho by the order of Joshua. In the early ages of Christi anity, owing to the prosecutions of the faithful, the bells were silent, and the dec ms of the church an nounced to the faithful the time and place of worship. But when the General persecution ceased and the faithful were allowed to assemble openly and unite in the worship of God, the ringing of the bells an nounced the joyful intelligence, and told to each one that it was the hour for prayer. The office of the church bell is similar to that of the apostles who received from their Divine Master the command to announce the gospel to all nations and classes
 
 of people, and although this bell will not speak the words of God, yet those, whose ears will be thrilled with its sweet sound, will know where to come that they may hear the saving word of life, and in this way this bell will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ
 ''In the ceremony, we have just performed, this bell has been anointed seven times on the outside and four on the inside, seven times on the outside to commemorate the seven hours of prayer, mentioned in the bible, also the seven anointments are given because seven is a mythi- cal number, symbolical to all time, and hence the bell is to remind the faithful of the council of St. Paul that ''it behoves you always to pray" The fourfold anointment on the in side symbolize the fourfold intellig- encs it will convey to the people. It will ring in time of joy, it will ring in time of sorrow, it will ring for charity's sake when general mis- fortune or calamity threaten, and it will at all times announce the hour of prayer.