The Lincoln Bishop Uni Chapel

07/06/2026

27/05/2026

*" The Bells! The Bells!"*

I've been asked the meaning of the ringing of the Chapel bells. Apart from when the bell is set to ring the hour, there are three other uses:

*The "Calling Bell"* - when it is rung thirty three times to give ten minutes' warning that an act of worship is about to begin and to invite people to come and join in. According to tradition, Jesus was crucified at the age of thirty three - so it's a way of naming Jesus with a single bell (see "The Passing Bell" below).

*The Angelus* - which is an invitation to join in the Angelus devotion that recalls the way that the Blessed Virgin Mary responds to the vocation to become the Mother of the Saviour. You will hear the bell rung three times followed by a pause, then another three times, then a pause, and then (for the third time) another three times, followed by a pause, after which it is rung nine times. The prayer is punctuated three times by the "Hail Mary" and concludes with a specific prayer - the bells indicate when the "Hail Mary" is said and for the final prayer. They are rung much more quickly between Easter and Whitsunday (Pentecost) to indicate that another devotion (the "Regina Cœli") is said instead of the Angelus.

*The "Passing Bell"* - to indicate that a death has occurred or that there will be a Memorial Service or a Requiem. The bell is tolled _very slowly_ - and, in the case of announcing the death of a specific individual, the number of times that it is rung will correspond to the number of years that the person lived (if known).

27/03/2026

In our cycle of prayer, we pray today for our Partnerships team.

27/03/2026

In our cycle of prayer, we pray today for St. Augustine's College, Chicago in the USA. St. Augustine College Alumni & Friends Chicago Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion - CUAC

25/03/2026

The event commemorated on this day is depicted in a rather wonderful stained glass window in our Chapel.

16/03/2026

In our cycle of prayer, we pray today for Whitelands College, Roehampton University, in the UK. Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion - CUAC

16/03/2026

In our cycle of prayer, we pray today for all who work in and with our Library services.