Altar bell

In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, in Lutheranism, in Methodism, and in the Anglican Communion, an altar or sanctus bell is typically a small hand-held bell or set of bells. The primary reason for the use of sanctus/altar bell(s) is to create a joyful noise to the Lord as a way to give thanks for the miracle taking place atop the Altar of Sacrifice. An ancillary function of the bell(s) is to focus the attention of those attending the Mass that a supernatural event is taking place on the altar. Such bells are also commonly referred to as the Mass bell, sacring bell, Sacryn bell, saints' bell, sance-bell, or sanctus bell (or "bells", when there are three). and are kept on the credence table or some other convenient location within the sanctuary.

"A little before the Consecration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful. According to local custom, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice." The usual moment chosen for giving the signal of the approach of the Consecration is when the priest stretches out his hands over the host and the chalice while reciting the epiclesis, but another moment traditionally used for this purpose is at the first words of the Sanctus. Pre-1970 editions of the Roman Missal, prescribed the choice of the Sanctus as the moment for the signal, but ringing the bell at both the Sanctus and the epiclesis was common practice in the first half of the twentieth century. They also prescribed a triple ringing of the bell at each showing of the consecrated elements.

On 10 September 1898, the Congregation of Sacred Rites declared inappropriate the use of a gong instead of the altar bell.

The ringing of an altar bell began probably in the thirteenth century. It is not mentioned in the original 1570 Roman Missal of Pope Pius V and was not introduced into papal Masses until the time of Pope John Paul II.

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