As the Parish of the Upper Blue Mountains strengthens its growing community, a new peal of bells is encouraging parishioners to synchronise their hearts to Christ.
The five bells were blessed during a special ceremony during Mass on Sunday 1 February at St Canice’s Church, Katoomba – celebrated by Parish Priest Fr John McSweeney and Fr Colin Blayney from the Parish of Lindfield-Killara, who helped the parish obtain the bells.
Bells to proclaim the message of Beatitudes
In his homily, Fr Colin, explained the blessing of the bells is a challenge to the faithful to ensure the bells proclaim the message of the Beatitudes, referencing the Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew.
“The service these bells will perform is to ring out the message, ‘Come here and find yourself loved, not judged,” he said.
“Come here and find a religion of the heart, not of a heartless law.
“Come here and experience the embracing, accepting, all-encompassing love of God through the people who gather here and pray.”
Bells dedicated to parish patrons
During the liturgy, the bells were blessed with Holy Water, prayed over, incensed and anointed with the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Chrism.
Tje peal of bells for the Parish of the Upper Blue Mountains during Mass at St Canice’s Church, Katoomba. Image: Supplied
The bells are dedicated in honour of the expanded parish’s patrons:
- The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (2023 – note B) – May its sound ever remind those who hear it of the love of God, revealed in Jesus the Lord.
- Our Lady of the Nativity (2024 – note A) – like Mary, may this bell glorify the Lord, and lead all who hear it to rejoice in the birth of God our Saviour.
- St Francis Xavier (1904 – note G#) – who laboured tirelessly to bring the Gospel to those who had not heard it. May its sound inspire to witness to the Gospel and to bring God’s love to all.
- St Bonaventure (1887 – note F#) – May its sound remind us of our call to be contemplative and to find God in silence and in prayer.
- St Canice (1890 – note E) – May its sound speak of the call to be people of prayer and to be missionary disciples, who invite others to hear the Good News.
“Pour down your blessing upon these bells, that their voices may arouse the hearts of your faithful to copy your strength, your wisdom, your loving kindness, your beauty, your justice, your devotion and your guiding power, so that your servants, being made by grace perfect in you, may obtain the glory which you have prepared for them,” Fr Colin prayed.
Bells reflect ‘beating heart’ of Church
“What we will see this Sunday is a great and memorable ceremony, but what follows will be a great blessing for our Parish,” Deacon Alan Skofic wrote in the parish bulletin.
“The bells are sacramentals, like Holy Oils – they are signs, in this case not visible but audible, to something that is happening that we cannot hear or see,”
“These bells will not only call people to Mass, but they will also announce weddings and funerals, and if it would be possible, to ring them throughout the day to mark the hours of the day, including the ringing out of the hours of the Angelus.
Parish Priest Fr John McSweeney (right) and Fr Colin Blayney (second right) from the Parish of Lindfield-Killara during Mass for the blessing and installation of a peal of bells for the Parish of the Upper Blue Mountains at St Canice’s Church, Katoomba. Image: Supplied
“In this way, all who hear them are exposed to the beating Heart of the Church.
“It is here that the bells also have another function – that of protection, because as they sound out, they drive the forces of evil from the Parish.”
Background to bells
Thomas Perrin, the President of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers, assisted the parish in obtaining the bells and engineering their installation.
He explained that the project started in early 2021, partly encouraged by the Lindfield-Killara bells and the peal of bells for St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta.
“The three largest bells are all over 100 years old, and were sourced from different locations across the UK, with help from the Keltek Trust.
“One was removed from a redundant church, another was used on a private estate in Scotland and another was used in a small village church in Salisbury what was acquired by the army in WWII.
“These bells were restored and turned, and two new bells were cast to complete the ring of five, which sit below and complement the original bell at St Canice.”
Watch the blessing of the bells for St Canice on the parish’s YouTube channel.
The blessing and dedication of the church bells reflects the Diocesan Pastoral Plan priorities of Community, Prayer, and Being Renewed in Spirit and Prayer. Visit Synodality to learn more.
