The Bells of St. Mary: New bells for Catholic church blessed, then lifted into basilica tower in preparation for Easter celebration
Published 1:05 pm Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Four bells sitting at the bottom of the St. Mary Basilica steps were blessed at the end of Cathedral School’s Wednesday morning mass before being lifted high into the church tower.
St. Mary Rector the Rev. Aaron Williams, surrounded by students, faculty and parishioners, blessed and anointed the three new bronze bells and one fully restored bell. The bells will join another bell already in the church tower. All five bells will ring out into the city on Easter Sunday.
Below are pictures from Wednesday morning’s celebration:
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- The Rev. Aaron Williams blesses the four bells Wednesday morning. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- The Rev. Aaron Williams blesses the four bells Wednesday morning. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- The Rev. Aaron Williams sprinkles holy water on the four bells that were blessed Wednesday morning. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- The Rev. Aaron Williams anointed each bell with oil during Wednesday’s blessing of the bells. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- Gene Laird and his grandson Sutton Loomis look at the four bells that were blessed Wednesday. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- A snail was cast into the top of one of the bells. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- The shape of a beetle was cast into one of the bells. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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- (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
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