To the editor:
Regarding the article in Sunday's Journal World , "Neighbors say church bell provides rude awakening," the residents in the Corpus Christi area are not alone in their dismay over the inconsideration of the imposition of early morning bells.
When Rev. Shaughnessy said that his phone calls about this "were positive," he wasn't thinking of mine or of those of many others. When I called city hall to ask how to proceed, I was informed that many complaints had been lodged there as well not surprising. There are numerous senior citizens nearby who prefer not to arise at the crack of dawn.
I have personally suggested a compromise to Rev. Shaughnessy that, I think, would be acceptable to both the surrounding neighborhoods and to the church. When I attended Catholic convent school as a youth, every morning we attended early Mass before school. But in consideration of the surrounding neighborhoods, the nuns of St. Joseph's never rang the bells until noon, when we all stopped to say the Angelus prayers. They rang again at 6 p.m. for vespers.
Neighbors of all denominations often remarked on what a lovely way it was to mark time and to enjoy the aesthetic charm of the bells. It was actually appreciated as a kind of "gift" to the community of all faiths. The ringing of St. Joseph's noon and evening bells became a small town's tradition a neighborly thing to do.
Perhaps the same could happen with Corpus Christi's bells, if only they would ring when everyone was already up and about. Currently the imposed bells are a source of aggravation to many neighbors, but our annoyance can easily evolve into exasperation and bitterness something we could all do without in this already hyper-tense world.
To Rev. Shaughnessy: When you force the bells upon your unwilling neighbors, they become not "a tradition" but simply an act of aggression. Surely we would all like to resolve this problem in an amicable and civilized manner. Maybe we could learn a lesson from those simple nuns who taught us as children to be peace-loving, considerate and mindful of the needs of others.
Jan Kozma,
Lawrence
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