The Archdiocese of New York will ring all church bells including St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Wednesday, December 31, 2020, to honor those who have died due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to ABC, the Archdiocese of Boston, Diocese of Brooklyn, and Staten Island to Ulster County will also join the Archdiocese of New York in ringing their church bells to honor the dearly departed.
“The ringing of the bells is as much a statement of faith as it is a show of solidarity with our neighbors and fellow Americans who have faced unimaginable losses as a result of the pandemic,” the archdiocese said in a release per ABC. “Traditionally, the ringing of church bells has been a call to prayer or a signal to the community that a moment of solemnity and significance is taking place. Most often these are occasions of prayer, funerals, or weddings. Historically, the bells have also marked moments of both loss and triumph in the wider culture.”
The bells will ring at noon and according to the archdiocese, it is a gesture meant to help comfort those grieving their loved ones.
