We have a Filipino saying, “Pagkahaba-haba man ng prusisyon, sa simbahan pa rin ang tuloy.”
Although this means, even if the courting process and the relationship of two lovers is long (and not always rosy), it ends up in marriage.
This may not be what happened to the church bell in this story but that saying is what literally happened to it.
After more than 100 years, the church bell that was removed in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War that ended up in a chapel in West Point, New York, is finally home.
From Facebook:
“So when we hear the sounding of the bell, we will ask not for whom the bell tolls, for it tolls for all of us, and reminds us of our interconnectedness – of our two countries and our people.” ????????????????
US-Philippines Society Director and President Dennis Wright (left) and Bauang Municipal Mayor Martin de Guzman (right) unveil the historic San Pedro Bell in Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Church, Bauang, La Union.
The church bell took a one-month trip, making its way to its permanent home in Church of St. Peter and Paul in Bauang, La Union, Philippines.
Retired US Navy Dan McKinnon, 82, pushed for the return of the bell in the Philippines.
He also has high hopes that more bells seized by the US be returned to the Philippines in the future.
*Photos are borrowed with permission from Smart-Sun ExRel Facebook page, the External Relations Team of Smart Public Affairs. They attended the momentous event in behalf of their chairman, Manny V. Pangilinan, who is also co-chairman of the organization that orchestrated the return of the bell, the US-Philippines Society.
We hope to see more of our Philippine bells returning home soon.
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