Parramatta: Bells to ring at St Patrick’s Cathedral
If a COVID-19 cure has been found or the Eels win a premiership, the sound of bells will signal the celebrations thanks to their much anticipated instalment at one of Australia’s oldest churches.
Parramatta
Don't miss out on the headlines from Parramatta . Followed categories will be added to My News.
IF a COVID-19 cure has been found or the Eels win a premiership, the sound of bells will signal the celebrations thanks to their much anticipated instalment at St Patrick’s Cathedral at Parramatta.
The eight giant bells — six which are over 100 years old — have been imported from the UK and, after coronavirus delayed their instalment slated for Easter, their presence will be a reality at the 166-year-old church in October. Yesterday, as part of a simplified adaptation of medieval ritual, the bells, which all take names from saints, were “baptised” by Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen and anointed with water and incense in a tradition dating to the 1500s.
Two bells were specially commissioned and the heaviest — St Mary of the Cross Mackillop — weighs 405kg.
Parishioners have purchased and donated the bells, which ranged from $8000 to $35,000, and were sourced from St Paul’s Anglican Church in Widnes, Liverpool, England.
St Patrick’s Cathedral Dean Father Peter Williams, who co-ordinated the project with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers, said the bells’ instalment had been in the making since 1853 when their sound would remind the people of Parramatta to attend church.
“Bells are more than just a hunk of metal when you strike them — they ring out a need, ’’ Fr Williams said.
“In the Middle Ages bells were used as means of communication. They call people to prayer or if something dramatic was happening in the village, they would ring the bells to communication.
“If the bells started ringing outside of prayers, then people knew something was up. They’ve always been regarded as having a celestial quality to them.’’
The next step will be to train bell ringers and possibly follow the British tradition which sees them “form a cohesive social group’’ that ends with a tipple at the local pub.
While St Pat’s parishioners no longer have their demolished Royal Oak to gather, it is hoped the recently-revived tradition will attract volunteers, with all age groups welcome to become a bellringer without breaking much of a sweat.
“It’s really a case of knowing how to pull on a rope,’’ Fr Williams said.
Along with Sunday’s principle Mass, Christmas, Easter and Christian celebrations, bells are also struck in times of sadness with a piece of leather used to evoke a muffled, haunting peal.
Fr Williams, however, is more optimistic the bells could soon be struck for more joyous occasions.
“Maybe when we find a vaccine for COVID-19, that might be an occasion when we can return to the bells,’’ he said.
“This is not only a rewarding project for the parishioners of Parramatta, but, given our parish dates from 1803, it’s a historic moment for the whole of Australia.
“These bells finish off our cathedral which was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1996. They symbolise persistence, hope and regeneration.”