[Bell Historians] Angelus

[Carl S Zimmerman]

At 12:12 +0100 2004/08/12, David Cawley wrote:
>1. The "favoured" Angelus times are 8 a.m., 12 noon and 6 p.m. It is
>not uncommon in Anglo-Catholic (and other) churches. Especially when
>there is a time clock to do the thing for you. 3 x 3 x 3 x 9 blows,
>the threes being for the salutations (the Aves) and the 9 for
>the concluding prayer.
...<snip>...
>There are of course variations - in continental Europe the nine
>blows are often replaced by a single bell set swinging.

The American Catholic tradition of the Angelus is similar to this: a 
single bell is tolled 9 times (in three groups of three strokes 
each), after which it is set swinging for a half minute or a full 
minute. Originally this was done three times daily - at 6 a.m., 12 
noon and 6 p.m. But in most places the morning time was eventually 
modified to 7 a.m. or 8 a.m., and in some places the morning time was 
dropped entirely.

Episcopal churches in America rarely ring the Angelus. But when they 
do, they ring it the same way as the Catholics.

CSZ