Sacring Bell

Sacring bell (campanella, timbele) was rung at the elevation inside the church, in England, by the Constitutions of Cantelupe in 1240, as a warning of devotion. Becon says while the elements were blessed the serving boy or parish clerk rang the little sacring bell, at which the people knelt down while the host was elevated. The second sacring was the crossing of the chalice with the host. The custom has been attributed to cardinal Grey when legate in Germany, cir. 1203; it was confirmed by Gregory IX in 1259. At the beginning of the 13th century, at Paris, the bells were rung at this time. The Armenians use a cymbal, with little bells, called the quechouez. A sacring bell was found in the wall of Deddington church, and that of Hawstead still hangs above the roodscreen, The use of this bell has been traced back to the 11th century; and before 1114, Ivo, bishop of Chartres, thanked queen Maud of England for the bells which she had given to Chartres, and says they were rung at the elevation. The custom is confined to Western Christendom, and is unknown at Rome. In Spain they use a melodious peal of bells, which chime a silvery music, instead of the ordinary tinkling of a single bell, at the moment of consecration, when the divine words of institution are recited by the celebrant; and, at the elevation of the host, Aubrey mentions that at Brokenborough, Wilts, there were eighteen little bells rung by pulling one wheel. Such wheels, it is believed, are still preserved at Yaxley and Long Stratton. In the Roman Church it is rung thrice at the Sanctus, once before and three times at the elevation of the host, three times at the elevation of the chalice, and at the Domine non sum dignus, and once before the Pater (the latter dating from the 16th century), and also at benediction with the sacrament.