Silent for 17 Years After an Earthquake, a Dominica Church’s Bells Ring Again

• St Andrew’s parish church in Vieille Case was badly damaged by a 6.0 earthquake
• A new belfry cost $23,953.48 to complete
• One donor gave $14,481.96; the parish raised $9,471.52
• The 1931 bells were restored to their original sound

The bells of the Parish Church of St Andrew in Vieille Case, Dominica, rang again on November 29, 2020, for the first time in 17 years, Dominica News Online reported. They had been silent since a magnitude 6.0 earthquake badly damaged the church. Bishop Gabriel Malzaire blessed the newly built belfry at the end of a Pontifical High Mass for the parish feast.

The project cost $23,953.48 in total. Most of it came from one man: Augustus Brumant, who coordinated the work, gave $14,481.96, and the parish put in $9,471.52. The three bells, made in 1931, were restored by Peter London, who, according to the report, “brought the bells back to their original sound”.

The effort was started by the parish priest, Fr Herman Sharplis, who said the restoration “has brought joy and happiness to all including non-Catholics.” At the same celebration, ten parishioners from Penville, Vieille Case, Thibaud, Paix Bouche and Anse De Mai were honoured for their service to the church and parish.

It is a small project by the standards of major church rebuilds, but it shows how long earthquake damage to church property can go unrepaired in a rural Caribbean parish, and how much a single committed donor can matter. In Vieille Case, one individual gave more than the rest of the parish combined.

Jamaica has many parish churches in rural communities with damaged bell towers, roofs and outbuildings from past earthquakes and hurricanes, some awaiting repair for years. The Vieille Case example is worth noting for Jamaican congregations and diaspora associations: a clearly costed project, a named coordinator and a generous donor helped the parish finish. For returnees and overseas members wondering how to give back, a specific, finishable repair to their home church is often where money makes the most visible difference.

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