St. Gabriel's bells

[from Janice M.]

Is anyone else having a problem with the 14 hour, 7 day a week ringing of the bells at St. Gabriel’s? The bells rings every 15 minutes starting at 7am and ring repeatedly until 9pm. The duration of the bell ringing is from 1-10 minutes with no rhyme or reason. The church uses a loud speaker system to generate the sound of bells. I doubt my neighbors would appreciate it, if I placed speakers on my house to generate loud music. This is adding to noise pollution and preventing me from enjoying  a quiet sanctuary in my home. 

 

I have lived here for 2.5 years and this is the first time the bells have rung on a regular schedule. Is there anything we can do as a neighborhood to get this situation under control? What is the noise ordinance in Petworth? I emailed Father Mateo twice and left a request at his office for a conversation but have not had a response. Other neighbors have expressed concern about this added noise to our community. Does anyone have a solution?

Comments

[Janice]

Steve,

Thanx for the update. Let me know when Father Mateo is back and ready to meet.

I appreciate your help.

Janice

[Steve]

Janice,
I thank you for your concern and your patience, Father Mateo is out of town due to the passing of his father, I'll look into it.

[Janice]

Steve,

Thank you for your efforts in reducing the number of times the bells at St. Gabriel ring. I notice that the volume is lower and the bells start at 9AM and end at 7PM. This of course is an improvement. However, the bells are ringing on the hour and half hour. And Father Mateo has them programmed to ring for 10 minutes before Mass rather than 5 minutes.

I still think we need to have a dialogue with Father Mateo and the church committee. Please let me know if you can arrange a meeting. We are definitely making progress and I appreciate your help.

Janice

[Steve]

I have spoken with Father Mateo and members of the Parish Council about the bells, as he told the bells are gone at 7pm, and they ring hourly, as I suggested lowering the volume, he said this has been done.
I am praying on this as I felt anxiety as well.

[Janice]

I agree with Steve and Bill about starting a dialogue that could result in a benficial compromise. Let me know when and where we can have a meeting.

And thanx to all for your input.

[Mark]

I hope someone from the church is reading this and the Prince of Petworth blogs where both a variety of opinions and some solutions to what several of us consider is a problem are posted.

[Joe L.]

I live 3 blocks from the beautiful church and think they are a lovely addition to the neighborhood! Let the bells ring!

[carol herwig]

When I moved here in 1985, the bells rang on the quarter hour. I enjoyed them and was sorry when they were silenced.
I'm happy to have them back. They add something solid and musical to the neighborhood. Carol

[char]

I have been a resident of Petworth over 50 years. I love to hear the bells. I rather hear the bells than gun shots everyday. The bells don't ring that offen. I hope the bells continue to ring. They bring a sense of hope and faith.

[Mark]

Steve Warner's explanation is very helpful and may provide the kernel to addressing the concerns of those neighbors bothered by the bells ringing four times each hour (often several rings at a time), 14 hours a day.

"...he announced plans to have the Angelus rung Morning, Noon, and Night. Five minutes before Mass, bells were rung to remind parishioners Mass would follow."

While I can't speak for those others, to start a compromising dialogue the priest or representative of the church might propose to the neighborhood that the ringing of the bells return to the original intended frequency and see what the reaction is.

The effort to reach agreement as good neighbors is greatly appreciated.

[Bill Crandall]

[Ed. note - Here's an email response I received from Steve Warner on behalf of St. Gabriel]

Bill, thank you for taking the time to contact me on the bells, which are a replacement for the previous set of electronic bells, stolen from the church, which were installed many years ago by the late Bishop McNamara, our founding pastor. According to parish archives, when installed he announced plans to have the Angelus rung Morning, Noon, and Night. Five minutes before Mass, bells were rung to remind parishioners Mass would follow.

Our Masses are 5:30pm on Saturday in English, 7:30am in English, 9am in Spanish, 11am in English, 6pm in Spanish. Daily Masses are said at 8am in the Convent chapel Monday through Saturday at The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary at Convent 519 Varnum St, NW.

Also in the parish archives, St Gabriel was founded nearly 90 years ago in a WWI war hut donated by the Knights of Columbus (1920), was named St Gabriel, which would bring the good news to the people of Petworth.

I have forwarded these concerns to Father Mateo and several members of the Parish Council. Father Mateo is relatively new, having been installed in September on our feast of St Gabriel, and our parish is in the process of restoring the church and the rectory over a 20 year period. Please free to visit St Gabriel.

I am a parishioner at St Gabriel, and on several committees there. I am interested in your newsletter, though I am in Silver Spring my family once lived in Petworth.

[wayan]

I'm just off Grant Circle, so the bells are loud and clear for me too. And I love them.

I can't think of a better "noise" in the neighbourhood than church bells. And I'm not even religious.

[Mark]

I also live across from the church. Not only are the bells terribly annoying to my neighbor, disturbing her peace and quiet and in some cases, her sleep, they don't even ring at the right time. Twice this week I've left the house for work at 7:12 am and they've been ringing what I believe was supposed to be the quarter hour. Glad I wasn't trying to tell time by them.

I would hope the Church could give some on how often they ring, perhaps ringing them at noon each day if they feel the need and then preceding each mass. Then they'd actually serve a purpose. Anymore and especially throughout the day simply adds more unneeded city noise for no good reason.

[Janice]

Before I bought my home in January 2006, I asked my potential neighbors if St. Gabriel's rang bells. The answer was NO. In fact, no one remembers the bells ever ringing! I did a walk through on a Sunday morning before buying my home to verify that the church did not ring bells and there were NO bells.

I live directly across from the rectory...a front row seat. The bells ring every 15 minutes from 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week. In addition, the bells are periodically rung for 10 minutes periods with no rhyme or reason and yes between those 10 minute intervals there is only a five minutes break. The sirens are not going off as frequently as the bells.

My neighbors have to tune out the bells by turning up their TVs, radios, white noise machines, etc. which is not the best home environment. And hearing these bells at 6:58am on a Saturday or Sunday morning is not a joyous experience.

Sara, Joe, do you live in close proximity to the Church? Do you realize that these are not real bells but rather a sound track on a loud speaker system on the roof of the school? I hope this explanation helps you understand why I am perplexed that out of nowhere the church started this 14 hour, 7 day a week ritual without any concern for the neighbors.

[Sara]

I personally like the bells. They are certainly more pleasant than all the sirens.

[Joe]

I empathize but I have some questions.

--You say the bells are an "added" noise--but I would imagine this old church has always rung bells. How long has this been going on and how different is it from what the church was doing before the recent change you allude to?

--You say the ringing sessions last 1-10 mins "with no rhyme or reason." This seems very unlikely. For one thing, you say that the ringing occurs every 15 minutes--I doubt very much that the bells ring for 10 minutes and stop for only five minutes before ringing for 10 more. For another, there is surely some rhyme and reason to the pattern--in fact, I am willing to bet the bells are run by computer on a very regular schedule indeed.

--How close do you live to the church? Didn't you know you were moving in near a church?

--You mention "concern" by the neighbors. How many neighbors? About what are they "concern"ed? Or by "concern," do you just mean they don't like it?