All churches throughout the Archdiocese of New York, including St. Patrick's Cathedral, rung their bells Wednesday at noon to honor the 322,000 people who have died from coronavirus in the U.S.
The Archdiocese of Boston and Diocese of Brooklyn joined the Archdiocese of New York in ringing their church bells to honor the dearly departed, as well as in Staten Island to Ulster County.
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The archdiocese says the ringing of the bells is meant to comfort grieving families and friends and help everyone move forward together into 2021.
"The ringing of the bells is as much a statement of faith as it is a show of solidarity with our neighbors and fellow Americans who have faced unimaginable losses as a result of the pandemic," the archdiocese said in a release. "Traditionally, the ringing of church bells has been a call to prayer or a signal to the community that a moment of solemnity and significance is taking place. Most often these are occasions of prayer, funerals, or weddings. Historically, the bells have also marked moments of both loss and triumph in the wider culture."
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