Hagåtña cathedral bells to toll for funerals, weddings
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Residents should expect to hear more bell tolling than before in Hagåtña, as the cathedral will toll bells for all funerals and weddings.
The bell rings every hour to tell the time, from just a few seconds to a few minutes, according to Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica rector Rev. Romeo Convocar.
The tolling can be used for different occasions, for times of prayer, grieving and joy.
The bell also marks calls to prayer at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., which are called “Angelus time,” Convocar said.
For funerals held at the cathedral, the bell will toll when the body of the deceased arrives in the church and leaves the church.
The bell will ring for weddings, when the newlyweds proceed out of the church.
History of bells
Although the bell sounds may seem new since the tolling is being used more, the practice isn’t new.
Tolling of the bells is a longtime religious practice, going back to the year 400 AD, Convocar said.
“Early missionaries used small hand bells to call people to worship, with bells being introduced into Christian churches around 400 AD by Paulinus, Bishop of Nola in Campania,” Convocar said.
Tolling bells on Guam
The practice of tolling bells should have started since the Hagåtña church was constructed by the first Jesuit missionaries, including Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, Convocar said.
“This practice of ringing bells should have been continuous through the years except when the cathedral and its belfry were destroyed during the war,” he said.
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The practice had been part of the Catholic tradition on Guam for a long time, but many parishes stopped the tradition because of the absence of bell towers, lack of people with the knowledge of how to traditionally ring the bells, or the absence of electronically installed bells, Convocar said.
When the cathedral was reconstructed after World War II in 1958, it was built without the traditional manually-operated bell, according to Convocar.
Today, the sound of the church bell comes from an electronic mechanism.
Reporter Chloe Babauta keeps readers up to date on Guam’s latest trends, food spots, festivals and more. Follow her on Twitter @chloebabauta and Instagram @mestisachamorrita. Follow Pacific Daily News on Facebook/GuamPDN and Instagram @guampdn.