In a heartfelt appeal for peace, as the sovereign people of Ukraine stand against invasion and war, the National Bell Festival joins the archbishops of Canterbury and York in calling for a day of prayer and reflection. This Sunday, February 27, 2022, bells across America will toll between the hours of 11:30am – 1:00pm local time in support of dialogue over destruction, collaboration over conflagration.
Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell invited Anglican church members to make Sunday a day of peace, writing in a joint pastoral letter: “Peace, therefore, is so much more than the absence of war. It is a gift, and it is also a decision.”
Their appeal echoes the call of Pope Francis, who designated Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting and prayer. His Holiness asked world leaders to “make a serious examination of conscience before God.”
Bells have long served both a civic and sacred role within our communities, resounding in times of celebration and sorrow alike. This Sunday, bells and bell towers across the nation are invited to ring, as they are able, in solidarity with Ukraine. Cathedrals and churches, community organizations and historical structures, national parks and memorials, and people from coast to coast are encouraged to gather and contribute to the sound.
Cover image: Bells within the 250-ft. belfry of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine.
