The following comes from an October 24 story in the Monterey Herald.
At noon, two fifth-graders from San Carlos School ring two massive bronze church bells in the Royal Presidio Chapel for the Angelus, a Roman Catholic prayer that celebrates the annunciation and incarnation of Jesus, as described in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
The Angelus — from the Latin “Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mari¾,” or “the Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary” — was traditionally recited in Catholic churches, convents and monasteries daily at 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m., announced by ringing the Angelus bell.
Sister Sharon MacMillan, liturgy coordinator at the cathedral, said the idea of reviving the noon bell ringing, which once called Monterey’s residents to prayer in California’s early days, came from Cathy Leiker, a parishioner who served as project manager of the church’s renovation….
The daily bell chorus began Oct. 15, the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila, MacMillan said.
Leiker said the bells are bronze with cast-iron frames and clappers.
To read the entire story, click here.
Joy, joy, joy! Those of us who grew up in communities blessed with the ringing of Angelus bells lived our lives around them, feeling connected through the sound to everyone in the community and a shared connection to God. We did not need clocks to remind us when to pray the Angelus: when to rise in the morning and pray, stop and pray at lunchtime, and even when to pray and head home at the end of the day. Nobody in our community minded, and those who might sleep through the bells seemed to like the secure feeling of knowing that the sound of the bells ringing was as reliable as the sun rising in the morning.
If only all communities would do that.. I would say..” what a wonderful world”…and sight as a great feeling…. I remember as a kid..in my barrio..church ringing at noon..also our only hispanic radio station in Houston would stop all activities and would play the noon church bells…no one does that anymore…we have lost ourselves in the worldly world….how sad.
forgot to add to my comment…the angelus and the rosary short version was recited too.
The Angelus is a specific pattern with some variation. I hope the bell-ringers in Monterey actually learn the pattern rather than simply ring the bells. Would be nice if they could ring the Angelus pattern at 6am, noon and 6pm.
The bells ring at the Consecration of each Mass at the FSSP Christ the King Church in Sarasota FL –
On Sunday with the Diocese Bishop carrying our Lord there was a public procession with many many parishioners of all ages participating.
What a great idea!
An excellent beginning, a good step in the right direction toward a renewal of our Roman Catholic identity. The next step in reclaiming our Catholic heritage would be permission for the Traditional Latin Mass to be celebrated at the Cathedral.
Is there even enough demand for the EF Mass in Monterey? Has anyone asked Bp. Garcia?
There is a Traditional Latin Mass every Sunday in the Monterey Bay Area, it is standing room only at times. So I would say, yes, there is a call for it. Would the Pastor allow it, I don’t know. I know that the Pastor of the Mission Carmel has forbidden the Traditional Latin Mass to be said in his church, even when a priest in good standing in the Diocese of Monterey was going to say it.
It’s not up to the pastor. If enough people from the basilica wanted the EF Mass they could go directly to the bishop.
“Forbidding” it as a pastor would be foolish in terms of clerical politics and I rather doubt he did.
Can you imagine an EF Mass there using that new little square altar they put in after the renovation? Ha!
I love the Angelus and try to say it whenever possible. Evidently there are at least two Catholic churches in California that ring the bells for it, this one and Our Lady of Peace Shrine in Santa Clara Valley. There is a traditional painting of two harvesters, a man and woman, bowing their heads and praying the Angelus in a field, in France.I believe.
I love the Angelus, too, Anne. To me it’s like enclosing the day in (parenthesis) beginning and ending the day with Mary and Jesus. I ring the bells in my head…haha. To the rolling of the bells-of the bells, bells, bells:
To the tolling of the bells,of the bells, bells, bells, bells…just being ‘Poe’tical.
And thanks for bringing up that painting by Jean-Francois Millet. My mom used to have a print of it in our kitchen, but we never knew why it had the name…we mistakenly called it ‘The Gleaners’ which was another painting he did.
Old Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa rings the Angelus pattern each day at noon and 6:00pm.
I looked up the painting and the pictures for sale of The Angelus by Jean Francoise Millet, and one can purchase a picture in a traditional frame or a modern one with a mat. Actually the modern ones look very pretty, combining the old with the new. At least one website lets you choose your frame for the picture. There are probably others, too.
Now if abstinence from eating meat on Fridays could be restored universally, we might come to believe we are serious about begining to restore Catholic identity. I wouldn’t even ask why it was ever removed.
It was never removed, Phlippe. It was thought that other forms of penance or sacrifice could be used, but the concept of fasting etc. are still in place. I haven’t eaten meat on Fridays for years and I know others who have not, as well. I completely support your desire for restoring Catholic identity. It’s a good idea to be involved in Eucharistic Adoration at your church, if you aren’t already. It is so good to be still and spend time with the Lord in quiet meditation. It’s good to just be quiet and not have a long list of requests for healing etc. but to ask for nothing and just LISTEN and praise and thank Him for His beauty and goodness, don’t you think? To do so on an empty stomach makes one alert when one isn’t digesting a heavy, meaty dinner. Also, if you’re interested, you can learn Latin, if you’ve not done so already, on Michael Voris’s website for only $10 a month, which also gives you other faith-filled activities, news and videos. If we do not discipline ourselves, eventually someone else will do it for us, and we won’t like it n early so well. Now, if I can just wean myself from chocolate! haha
There will be a Eucharistic Vigil starting November 5th at 7:00 PM continuing until November 6th at 8:00 PM when the polls close for the purpose of entreating God to have mercy on America for our sins by giving us good, holy, Leaders that will lead us out of this moral morass. It will be at Our Lady Help of Christians in Garden Grove. The Tuesday evening Adoration will be completed by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass of St. Pius V (Tridentine) at 7:00 PM.
There will also be an All Night Vigil at San Conrado Mission immediately following the Padre Pio Mass, Benediction, and Rosary this Saturday November 3rd.
There will also be such Eucharistic Adoration for the same purposes at Holy Innocents Chapel, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Please ask your pastors for permission to do so also.
For more information, contact Kenneth Fisher at: 714-491-2284 or [email protected].
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Phillipe,
It never was. The Church only gave the faithful the choice of what pennance they would do. The liberals took it from there and lied to the faitful, by not passing on what the Magisterium actually decreed.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
The Angeles recalls the conception of Jesus. Christmas recalls the birth of Jesus. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the negation of praying the Angeles by most Catholics, including the religious, for the past 50+ years, (no doubt a result of the fact that many are now ignorant of its existence in the first place), corresponds with most Catholics embracing contraception and sterilization as well as being indifferent towards abortion, thinking of it as “just one of many issues”.
I wonder. Could one really embrace these evils if he recited the Angeles every day?
I would like to thank the pastor is of San Carlos Mission for embracing the renewal of this tradition! May many fruits flow from it!
I would like to thank the pastor of the San Carlos Cathedral, also, Tracy, and, I believe you are right about the connection between not saying the Angelus and the slaughter of the innocents.. They say the Angelus and ring the bells over the Valley every day at Our Lady of Peace Shrine in Santa Clara, and the church and priests there are very pro life. The Association of the Miraculous Medal first sent me, many, many, years ago, a brochure about St. John leaping in his mother’s womb at the conception of the Virgin Mary. Our Lady had just conceived when she went to see St. Elzabeth and St. John did his “famous” leap.
The bells at OLP Shrine are mechanical, though, but their ring is still beautiful
Wow! after the sad news from USD in Sad Diego about that nutcake from the land of Henry VIII being invited as a guest lecturer, this is indeed uplifitng good news, thanks.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Step two, bring back The Traditional Latin Mass to the Cathedral.
Is there demand for the EF Mass in Monterey?
If there is, rather than whine about it, why not prepare a petition and submit it to Peter Crivello (the pastor/rector) while copying the bishop on it?
I suspect there isn’t enough real demand but no one really knows.
Peter,
Either you are ignorant or you are intentionally playing down the Sacred Priesthood. It is Fr. Peter Crivello, Pastor!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher