October 19, 2015 - Holy Trinity Bells moving to the Cathedral*

BLESSING  
Friday 10/16 - Bells will be delivered to the Cathedral in the afternoon.
 
Saturday 10/17 & Sunday 10/18 - The bells will be on display on the Union Park side of the Cathedral down the ramp.
 
Sunday 10/18 - The bells will be blessed by the Cardinal after evening prayer.  5 pm 
 
INSTALLATION  
Thursday 10/22 - Shaughnessy / Amquip will have the platform material and steel supports hoisted to the belfry in preparation of the bell installation.
 
Friday 10/23 - Shaughnessy / Amquip will have the bells hoisted up into the belfry.
 
Monday 10/26 - Shaughnessy Rigging / Verdin Bell and M. Collins Electric will start the bell installation.
 
HOLY TRINITY BELLS MOVING TO THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS  
Cardinal to bless the bells
 
October 18, 2015, Boston - The Archdiocese of Boston today announced that on Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 5pmfive restored, early American bells from the former Holy Trinity Church on Shawmut Avenue will be blessed and installed in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston. Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley will preside at the blessing within the context of evening prayer and will be joined by the faithful of Greater Boston and members of the South End community. The bells will honor the legacy of the former parish church and ring out across the City of Boston for years to come.
 
“Bells have a special place in the life of God’s people: the peal of bells marks the hours for prayer and calls us to the celebration of the liturgy; bells alert us to important events, both happy and sad, in the life of the Church and the community”, said Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley. "Whenever we hear the ringing of the bells we will remember that we are one family, coming together to show our unity in Christ.”  
 
Weighing more than two tons, the bells came to Holy Trinity Church after a long journey across the young United States of America. During the Civil War, General Benjamin F. Butler, former Governor of Massachusetts, was Military Commander of New Orleans after its occupation by the Union troops. Displeased with the unfriendly attitude of a certain section of the city he punished them be confiscating the old bells of their parish church. These bells were shipped to Boston and offered for sale. Reverend Ernest Reiter, SJ, the pastor of Holy Trinity Church, bought them in 1863 for $1500 and put them in the tower.
 
“We could not complete this portion of our ongoing exterior restoration without the use of these beautiful bells,” Very Reverend Kevin O’Leary, Rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross said. “Our restoration team at Verdin Bells and Clocks marveled at their world-class quality saying, ‘these are among the best sounding steel bells we have ever heard!’ We look forward to making a positive contribution to the sounds of the City.”   
 
Holy Trinity Church’s social and religious contributions shaped the City of Boston. The City’s traditional German parish, its members created many of Boston’s most storied institutions including the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). During the upheavals of the European Revolution of 1884, a large number of Prominent German musicians came to America. A group of these men, residing in New England, formed the Germania Orchestra, which, through hit Catholic members, was incorporated in Holy Trinity Parish. The orchestra played in the Church at solemn occasions and cooperated with its singing societies in many concerts. In 1859, Carl Zerrahn opened the Boston Philharmonic concerts with these German musicians. Together they formed the nucleus of the BSO in 1881. 
Today, former members of the Holy Trinity Parish worship at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.  
 
About the Archdiocese of Boston: The Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of 1.8 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 289 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 42,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156,000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of 200,000 individuals through its pastoral and social service outreach.   Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit  www.BostonCatholic.org.