NOVEMBER 11th: TOLLING OF THE BELLS
Saint Frances Cabrini Parish Community will toll our Church bells on Sunday November 11th at 11:00 AM in remembrance of all who served our country in the First World War.
We are pleased to share the following letter from Bob Harvie, Chairman of the Falls Township Board of Supervisors:
Most Reverend Church Official,
I am writing, on behalf of the Falls Township Board of Supervisors, to ask your cooperation in acknowledging a major historic event and reminding our community of the necessity of world peace. As I am sure you are aware, November 11 is Veteran’s Day, where we honor all veterans who have served our nation, in times of war and peace. However, the original intent of that holiday was to mark the end of World War One. On November 11, 1918, an armistice was signed which ended what was, at that time, the worst war in human history. It was a war that led to the deaths of over 10 million people worldwide, including over 116,000 Americans. It was a war that
would lead directly to World War Two, which saw a death toll between 60 and 100 million, and to the communist revolution in Russia, which would inevitably lead to the Cold War and all the violence, fear and mistrust associated with that conflict.
This November 11 marks the 100th anniversary of the end of that horrible war and we are asking houses of worship in our community to help us honor those who served and remind all of us of the lasting effects of war. Enclosed you will find a copy of a proclamation passed unanimously by the Falls Township Board of Supervisors at our October 16 meeting. The proclamation was circulated around the nation by the United States World War One Centennial Commission, and Falls Township was proud to issue it on behalf of our citizens. As you can see, the proclamation asks churches, such as yours, to toll their bells at 11am local time, to mark the time when the war officially ended. We understand that this November 11 happens to fall on a Sunday, and that 11am may conflict with your regular services. We view this bell tolling as a chance to remind ourselves of the fundamental benefits of peace, and respectfully ask you to give our request every consideration.
We thank you for your dedication to our community, and wish you sincere blessings for many more years of continued service to Falls Township.
Sincerely,
Bob Harvie
Chairman, Falls Township Board of Supervisors
