The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-09-12
SERMON BY BISHOP CARROLL OF
HELENA.
Chime Of Bells Presented to Helena
Cathedral by Colonel Cruise Blessed
With Impressive ceremony-Mean-
ing of the Baptism of Bells.

With Impressive ceremony-Mean
ing of the Baptism of Bells.
The magnificent chime of fifteer
bells, presented to the Cathedral Of
the Sacred Heart, Helena, Mont, by
Colonel Thomas Cruise, in memory o.
his daughter, was blessed with impress
sive ceremony by Bishop Carroll or
SUNDAY, August 23 At the same time
a bell donated by Monsignor Day, v
G., to the Belgian parish near Waller
was also blessed Colonel Cruise anC
Mrs. NJ. M. Rae were sponsors for the
Helena chimes The ceremony was
witnessed by large congregation, al
the local clergy and by several visit
ing priests. At it's conclusion Bishop
Carroll preached the following sermon
explanatory of the significance of the
ceremonial baptism of bells:
The Sermon.
"You have just witnessed the bless
ing of the new Cathedral bells and
you have no doubt remarked the strik
ing similarity between this ceremony
and that of baptism. Each bell is
given a name and has a sponsor II
is washed with holy water blessed
especially for the purpose. 1t is
anointed with holy chrism and the
oil of the infirm and bathed with the
fumes of incense. Various psalms are
read and prayers recited in which the
offices of the bells are set forth
Finally the gospel Of Martha and Mary
is sung by the deacon.
'Now all these ceremonies have
their meaning. AS in baptism the
child Of wrath becomes child of God
and is incorporated into the living
temple of Christ's mystical body, SO
by it's conservation the bell is removed
from all profane uses and made an in
tegral part of the material building in
which the Christian people worship. 1t
is washed with holy water to purify
it and make it holy for the service of
God. 1t is anointed without with the
Oil of the infirm as if to give strength
and vigor to it's tone. 1t is anointed
within with holy chrism to signify
the outpouring of grace upon the soul
the sacramento. 1t is bathed
with floods of incense as if to pene-
trate it with the good odor of Jesus
Christ: and as the smoke of the per-
fume rolls upward it is invited to lift
it's voice to heaven, thus teaching the
faithful that the merit of their prayers
consists less in the sound of their
voices than in the sanctity of their
morals and the purity of their lives.
The name of some saint or mystery
of religion is given to the bell to
make known to us that it is not the
report of mere metallic instrument
which strikes our ears, but the cry of
a herald of God and a friend of the
people.
Four Groups of Psalms.
"The Bishop rings the bell to give
it it's mission in the name of God
whom he represents; the sponsors ring
it to give it its mission in the name
Of the people whom they represent.
Psalms are sung around the bell as il
to instruct and educate it in those
sentiments with which it is to inspire
those who hear it's voice. The psalms
are arranged in four distinct groups.
Those that belong to the first group
houinpioo with tho SNEicororo, broo%Lo
the spirit of penance, diffidence in
self, confidence in God, and are filled
with anxious appeals and pressing
to the throne of grace.
The second group is made up of psalms
Of praise in which all creatures,
spiritual and corporal, animate and
are called upon to exalt
he name of the Lord. Praise the
Lord, o my soul! / will sing to the
Lord all my life long. Praise We the
Lord from the heavens: Praise We
Him from the high places! All We
angels, sun, moon and stars, all the
waters that are above the heavens,
praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from
he earth, We dragons and all We deeps,
ire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds,
praise the Lord. Kings of the earth
and all people, princes and all judges
If the earth, young men and maidens,
I'D men and children, praise the Lord
ind exalt His holy name forever"
"The third group is commanding in
one; it summons the faithful to the
house of the Lord and demands gifts
worthy of the majesty of the God
whom they adore. Bring to the Lord,
D We children of God, bring to the
Lord the offspring of rams; bring to
he Lord glory and honor! Adore We
he Lord in His holy court
I'm the fourth group God is con-
ured by the omnipotence of His right
lrm to lead His people through the
waters Of life, as He led the
-sraelites through the Red Sea by
he hand of Moses and Aaron. 1t
opens with the magnificent passage:
The waters saw Thee, o God, the
waters saw Thee and were afraid, and
he depths were troubled
Finally when the deacon sings:
Martha, Martha, thou art solicitous
Ind troubled about many things, the
bell is hidden to proclaim to all men
hat amidst the turmoil of life and
he struggle for earthly goods they
must not forget the one thing neces-
,ary, and that if they would choose
he best part-the only one that will
remain after this fitful fever of life