As Arkansas church leaders prepare for Easter Sunday, members of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral held a special bell-ringing ceremony in solidarity with Ukraine.
Little Rock, Ark – The bell tower is manually rang every Sunday for service at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, but a special performance took place this Sunday.
While religious leaders celebrated Palm Sunday in preparation for Holy Week until Easter Sunday, the same members of the Trinity Episcopal Bell Ringing Society performed 20 minutes in solidarity with Ukraine.
Julie Keller, a member of the Bell Ringing Society, said, “I think everyone feels what’s awful out there and we all want to do something, but as ordinary people we don’t know what to do.”
Keller said that there are only 45 bell-ringing minarets across the country, and that his cathedral has a total of 8 bells, which are controlled by ringers in the organization.
Even though the bells cannot be heard abroad, they are hoping that their solidarity can be felt here from home.
They are making sure their impact is felt in more ways than one.
Along with the bell ringing ceremony, the Bell Ringing Society also decided to fundraise and donate its earnings to efforts in Ukraine.
“All proceeds from today’s event will go to Episcopal Relief Services to help bring aid and comfort to the people of Ukraine,” said Tower Secretary William Horonas.
Large bells reverberated in the Quapaw Quarter in downtown Little Rock on Sunday morning.
The demonstration began after his 10:30 a.m. service. All were invited to visit and donate to the Ukraine Crisis Response Fund of Episcopal Relief and Development.
Officials said those funds would help those in the country fleeing violence. The donation will be used to meet critical needs like food, cash, blankets and sanitation supplies.
“We know that our money can be used for humanitarian aid and that’s what we’re interested in doing,” Keller said.
If you would like to donate, you can do so online by visiting their website here.
You can also send physical donations, as well as checks, to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral at 310 West 17th Street, Little Rock, AR 72206. You can make your check payable to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and include “Ukraine”. memorandum line.
