Benedicamus Domino, Deo Gratias! Bless the Lord, thank God! Finally our St. Pius X Mission of Gabon, has the joy of seeing the installation of its three beautiful steeple bells. On Saturday, May 25th, Bishop Tissier de Mallerais blessed our three bells which immediately afterward installed in their steeple...
Libreville, Gabon (Africa)
5-29-2013
We present here some extracts from the letter of the superior of the SSPX's mission in Gabon, Africa and a gallery of images showing the casting of the bells, their decoration for the rite of consecration and their erection into the mission's bell tower.
Photos courtesy of Fr. Loic Duverger.
Dear Friends and Benefactors,
Benedicamus Domino, Deo Gratias! Bless the Lord, thank God! Finally our St. Pius X Mission of Gabon, has the joy of seeing the installation of its three beautiful steeple bells. On Saturday, May 25th, Bishop Tissier de Mallerais blessed our three bells after which to the delight of many of a long wish come true, were then installed in the tower. At the event also was our District Superior, Fr. Loic Duverger and beloved Fr. Patrick Groche. On Sunday, May 26 (the feast of the Holy Trinity), the bells of St. Pius [Mission] rang for the first time. The Gabonese television network happily broadcasted the joy of the ceremony on Gabon’s airwaves...
We present here the three bells of the St. Pius Mission:
First bell; St. Marcel I: Why [Pope] St. Marcel I? To show our gratitude to our revered founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who not only gave 13 years of his priestly life in Gabon, but also for his special protection on our beloved Gabon mission... for all the benefits he gave to the Church (the Mass of All Time, the SSPX, Catholic bishops and priests, etc.).
On the bell’s back (side 2), we have the episcopal coat of arms of our founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, followed by the reverent text, "I am merely a Catholic bishop who transmits what he received—quod Tradidi and accepi, June 30, 1988 ". The bell sounds on the note of "LA" and weighs 450 kg!
Second bell; St. Nicolas of Flue: Why? This is the secondary patron of our mission, so revered by our faithful, and a model for our gentlemen of Gabon. This is also a nod to our friends from Switzerland wherein is our Econe: a lighthouse of Catholic Tradition! It sounds at "Si3" and weighs 330 kg!
On side 2:
My Lord and my God, remove from me everything that hinders me from going to you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that draws me to you
My Lord and my God, take me from myself and give myself entirely to you."
Third bell; St. Teresa: This is the patroness of the foreign missions, one of the greatest saints of modern times... which has a particular focus for our mission. It sounds a "C #" and weighs 225 kg.
On side 1: the image of St. Therese of Lisieux, followed by the text "I'm not dying, I am in life—I spend my heaven doing good on earth—St. Teresa, pray for us."
The life of our mission now beats to the rhythm of the bells: what joy!
Long life and spiritual efficacy from St. Marcel!
Long life and spiritual efficacy from St. Nicolas of Flue!
Long life and spiritual efficacy from St. Therese of the Child Jesus!
Fr. Prudent Balou,
Superior of the Gabon Mission of St. Pius X
