Built in 1873, St. Anne’s was closed in 2011 and reopened in June 2012 when it became the home of St. Clement parish, the first parish in the world established for those attached to the former liturgical traditions of the Roman rite.
However, the church’s four bells, purchased in 1910 from the prestigious French foundry Paccard, have been silent since 2011 for safety reasons after a crack was discovered in one of the supporting beams.
“Today is a day of great joy for St. Anne and Lower Town,” said Fr. Philip Creurer, FSSP, pastor of the traditional Latin rite parish of St. Clement.
“Our bells are back and can once more join us in celebrating life’s important events.” Bells have played a significant role in the Church since the eighth century when Pope Stephen erected a belfry with three bells at St. Peter’s.
“Bells are the voice of the community they ring out to,” said Creurer. “They hold a very special place in everyone’s heart and in our collective memory.”
Installed in 1910 from Paccard, the world’s most famous bell foundry, the St. Anne bells each carry a distinct emblem and motto. For instance, the first bell carries the coats of arms of Canada and Pope Pius X, along with the inscription Vox exultationis et salutes in tabernaculis (The voice of joy and salvation in the temple of the just).
“To have them back again is a great blessing,” said Creurer. Bells can be a source of pride for communities, Creurer points out. Some, such as Big Ben or the Liberty Bell, are well known to everyone.
“Church bells are the same,” said Creurer. “They are considered special and as such are blessed upon installation and carry dedicatory inscriptions.”
Although all bells are made of copper and bronze, no two bells are the same.
“Every bell made is unique because its very creation calls for the destruction of the mold it came from. It can’t be copied,” said Creurer.
Cast in accordance with traditional French methods, the bells of St. Anne weigh a total of almost 1,800 kilos. The first is 680 kilos and has a strike note of G; the second weighs 500 kilos and has a strike note of A; the third is 360 kilos with a strike note of B and the fourth weighs 225 kilos and has a strike note of D.
“Bells are the voice of the community they ring out to. They hold a very special place in everyone’s heart and in our collective memory,” Creurer said. “To have ours back again is a great blessing.”