SW News: A Catholic church damaged by the hordes of the Islamic State militants in Iraq’s Mosul will soon be installed with three beautiful bells cast in France. The Our Lady of the Hour church in the heart of Mosul was partly destroyed by the militants in 2017. Among the destroyed portions was the belfry.
Wadee al-Batti, the Iraqi ambassador to France, UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay and Fr Nicolas Tixier OP, the Dominican Provincial, visited the foundry of Villedieu-les-Poeles in France to witness the final touches being given to one bell and the casting of the other two. The bells have been named after the three archangels-Gabriel, Michael and Raphael.
The trio is made up of an alloy that is composed of 78 percent copper and 22 percent tin. Their weight ranges from 110 kg to 270 kg. It is expected that by March 6 next year, their installation would be complete. The work on the adjoining convent is slated to be over by next December.
"As a Christian from the city of Mosul, I have many memories of this bell tower, throughout my childhood, during my studies, it punctuated my life," said al-Batti. He added that ringing of the bells once they are installed in the church will be a victory of life. For Fr Nicolas, the bells stand for hope.
The Order of Preachers or Dominicans is closely collaborating with UNESCO in the rebuilding of the church. UNESCO is in charge of rebuilding the old part of Mosul and more than 100 millions euros are the estimated cost of this mammoth project. The project involves the reconstruction of the Church and Convent of Our Lady of the Hour, the Al Nouri Grand Mosque and the Syriac Catholic Church of Al Tahera.
The mega construction project named Reviving the Spirit of Mosul is funded by the United Arab Emirates.
The Church of Our Lady of the Hour was constructed in the 1870s by the Dominicans. Empress Eugénie, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III, donated the Bell Tower.