OUR BELLS & BELL-RINGING MINISTRY
The resonant sound of church bells holds a sacred place in Orthodox worship. At Saint Anna, our bells serve as a beautiful, audible expression of our faith, calling us to prayer and marking the holy moments of our services.
The History of Our Bells
On July 9, 2017, the Reverend Father Peter Salmas of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church (Belmont, CA), alongside our own parish clergy, blessed our first set of five bells. These beautiful, iconographically decorated bells were generously donated to Saint Anna Parish by Olga Gromova (mother of Olena Perry). Intricately crafted by the Litex Bell Foundry in Moscow, Russia, they were originally placed on a custom, hand-crafted portable belfry built by Angelo Kalogero. Their voices rang out in service for the first time on July 23, 2017, during the Great Doxology.
To expand our liturgical landscape, a magnificent new bell weighing approximately 900 lbs was forged in Greece and tuned specifically to harmonize with our existing set. This impressive bell was received by our parish and now hangs proudly in our permanent bell tower, beautifully completing our acoustic ministry.
The Ministry of the Bell Ringers
The purpose of the Bell-Ringing Ministry is to sound the church bells at designated, traditional moments throughout the Divine Services. The bells announce the beginning of worship, proclaim the joy of the Gospel through their heavenly sound, and call the faithful to prayer.
"Singing Icons"
Church bells are often beautifully referred to as singing icons. Just as painted icons define the visual space of an Orthodox temple and hymnography defines its prayerful space, the bells establish its acoustic space, bringing the community into a shared spiritual focus.
Get Involved or Support
Our parish follows a traditional Typikon (rule) governing how and when the bells are rung, ensuring our practices align with ancient Orthodox tradition.
Learn to Ring: If you feel called to this unique and historic ministry, hands-on training is available.
Sponsor a Bell: Opportunities are available to sponsor the purchase of additional bells for our tower, further enriching our parish's voice.
For more information on training or sponsorship, please contact the Church Office.