• December 7, 2025
  
  Last year Fr. Tim surveyed the parish community to determine whether there was enough interest in bringing back the bells. Your response was overwhelmingly positive, and Father has now agreed to move forward with this project!
  
  The total cost to install the system is between $15,000-$16,000. If you would like to make a donation to help fund the project, please make your checks payable to Prince of Peace, adding “Bells Project” to the memo line of your check. You can mail a check to the parish office or drop it off during office hours. You can also donate online using our parish donation form. Select the "Bells Project" fund from the dropdown list. You'll find it at the bottom of the list.
  
  So many of us are very excited that we will soon hear our bells peal again. We’ll be adding additional information regarding the expected completion date to the bulletin and the website. Our goal is to have the bells ringing by Easter. God bless you for your anticipated support of this project.
  
  
  ABOUT CHURCH BELLS
  
  For centuries, bells have called the faithful to worship, pealing through towns and across the countryside. Bell toweA double-rainbow over the bell tower, taken the day our survey was announced in our parish bulletin.
  Coincidence or God-incidence?
  Photo by Maryjean Zwack
  rs have the distinct privilege of pointing toward heaven and were often the tallest buildings in towns before the invention of the skyscraper.

  
  

  These bells were not timekeepers in the sense of tolling each hour. When the bells were rung, they signified that either it was time for Mass or for the traditional Angelus prayer, generally said at noon, though sometimes in the morning and evening. Many Catholic churches still ring their bells at noon for this reason, to pause at noon and turn your thoughts to Our Lady, seeking her intercession amidst the chaos of a busy day.

  
  

  Tower bells chime out the celebration of the Mass and prayers to Our Lady. Christmas is associated with bells for a similar reason—these would toll out the call to Midnight Mass.

  
  

  The bell in our bell tower is not a real bell, it is just decorative. With the exception of the 4 speakers remaining in the bell tower, the original bell system was removed during the church's renovation several years ago. Therefore, to bring back the bells we need to purchase a new system. The system we would install is a state-of-the-art digital system that plays through the bell tower loudspeakers. The volume and frequency of the playing of the bells would be totally under our control, as would the chimes and hymns that are played. While Hillsborough County has no restrictions on church bells, we would be sensitive to our neighbors and not play them too loud or often.
  
  The sound of these "bells" is amazing, able to play various chimes as well as several different hymns. Listen to these samples of the sound of the bells:

• Westminster Bells

  smaentz · westminste g1 + stroke f1 tempora

• Christ the Lord is Risen Today

  smaentz · 06 - christ is risen gain2
• ---