Historic church bells blessed at new St Jean Baptiste Church in Morinville

By Haylee Winger
More than one hundred people gathered on Tuesday, June 24, St Jean Baptiste Day, to witness
the Blessing of the Bells and tour the soon to be completed St Jean Baptiste Catholic Church in
Morinville. The ceremony marked a deeply significant moment for the parish, as four historic
bells, newly arrived from Quebec City, were formally dedicated for sacred use. The blessing
ceremony was led by Bishop Paul Terrio, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Saint Paul,
alongside St Jean Baptiste Pastor Trini Pinca. Together, they spoke of the importance of church
bells in Catholic tradition, as instruments that call the community to prayer and give voice to the
Church itself.
The blessing of bells is a solemn rite in Catholic practice, often conducted by a bishop. During
the ritual, each bell is gently struck with a hammer — a symbolic act representing the dedication
of the bell to divine service and an appeal for God’s blessing on its sound. The bells, which
originated from the Saint-Charles Church in the Vieux-Limoilou district of Quebec City, are
being given a new life in Morinville, where they will soon ring from the newly built bell tower of
St Jean Baptiste Church. The community’s “Bells Will Ring Again” fundraiser helped make this
dream a reality, with installation expected to be completed in July or August.
As is traditional in the Church, each bell has been named. The largest is called Marie, with a
diameter of four feet two inches (1.27 m) and weighing 2,815 lbs (1,277 kg). She resonates in the
musical note of Mi bemol (E♭). The second bell, Joseph, is three feet nine inches (1.14 m) in
diameter and weighs 1,996 lbs (905 kg), with the note of Fa (F). Jeanne d’Arc, the third bell, is
three feet four inches (1.01 m) in diameter and weighs 1,378 lbs (625 kg), tuned to Sol (G). The
smallest bell, Antoine, measures two feet ten inches (86 cm) in diameter and weighs 831 lbs (377
kg), sounding the note Si bemol (B♭). Each bell has its own tone, together creating a harmonious
voice that will soon echo across the Morinville community.
The arrival of the bells also brought with it a special connection to the late Rev. Mgr Robert
Poulin, who served in Morinville and passed away in 2018. Mgr Poulin was a student at the
Collège de Lévis, located just 5.9 kilometers from Saint-Charles Church, and likely heard these
very bells during his youth. Now, decades later, they will ring once more — not far from
Morinville’s Centennial Clock Tower, where his name is engraved on a commemorative plaque
celebrating 100 years of blessings in 2005.
Father Pinca and Bishop Terrio reminded the crowd that church bells are more than historical
relics — they are spiritual instruments. Parishioner Karen Cust recalled the tradition of ringing a
specific number of times to announce the birth of a boy or girl. “Church bells are an ancient part
of the Catholic tradition. They have been used in various events, prayer, Mass and big events
such as to celebrate weddings, mourn at funerals and used to ring for the birth of a child.”

As the Morinville community prepares for the bells to ring once again, this blessing marks not
just the revival of a tradition, but the continuation of a sacred sound that will echo through the
lives of parishioners for generations to come — a living symbol of God’s presence in both sight
and sound.