Bells Ring at Saint Herman's Langley, B.C.
What does the modern commitment to recycling have to do with the ancient faith of the Orthodox Christian Church ? Bells!

Bells ready for ringing Photo by T. Wildemann

Sunday, April 6 the parish of St. Herman of Alaska in Langley blessed their six newly-created bells. In the rite of blessing, each bell was sprinkled with Holy Water, anointed and named. The bells are each named for different saints who brought the Orthodox Faith to North America - the largest and deepest-voiced for the parish's patron St.Herman. The others are: St.Innocent, St.Tikhon, St.Peter the Aleut, St.Juvenaly, and the smallest, highest-voiced for Blessed Matushka Olga.

Fr. Lawrence Farley anoints the new bells Photo by Victoria Jordan

The bells began life as oxygen cylinders. Air Liquide donated the empty cylinders of high quality steel, which produces a beautiful sound. Members and friends of St. Herman's Dn. Kurt Jordan, Themis Harmantzis, Dan Steenburgh, Gabe Friesen, Dave Pasivirta and Peter Durovic made up the team that created the bells. The process included cutting the bottoms of the cylinders and grinding them to the right size to produce the proper tone for each bell, then sand-blasting them clean and painting them. Now there are six less cylinders as potentiall and-fill and six more instruments to beautify the world with music and proclaim the glory of God.
A tower was built to house the bells at the front entrance of St.Herman's building by StephenQuissy and Thomas Wildemann.

A selection of empty oxygen cylinders. Musician Dan Steenburgh (back) and Dn.Kurt Jordan. Photo by D. Pasivirta

Gabe Friesen (l.), Dan Steenburgh and Dn. Kurt Jordan Photo by D. Pasivirta

Thomas Wildemann, Fr. Lawrence, Themis Harmantzis, Stephen Quissy< Photo by Victoria Jordan

Dn. Kurt cutting and grinding the cylinders Photo by D. Pasivirta

Dan Steenburgh ringing the bells for the first time Photo by Victoria Jordan

After the blessing, musician Dan Steenburgh rang the bells for the first time while the assembled faithful proceeded into the church for liturgy. Dan learned how to ring the bells from the monks at Holy Transfiguration Monastery at Gibsons, B.C., who were the first to use recycled cylinders for bells, followed by All Saints parish in Victoria. St.Herman's bells make the third set, so it appears this is now a firmly established tradition on the west coast!

Published by Mat. Donna Farley