Saint George’s church in Lennoxville was one of several to toll its bells last week to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“I was surprised at how many people stopped in the streets,” said Edward Simonton, Vicar General & Archdeacon of Quebec, who explained that it is church protocol to ring the bell once for each year of the monarch’s life upon their death. “I opened the doors to the street, and I was surprised at how many people stopped,” he remarked, noting that people came out of their houses or workplaces and stopped on the sidewalk. “I didn’t expect anyone to do that, but they did.”
According to the archdeacon, that bell ringing was just the first step in a significant process of mourning ahead in the Anglican tradition.
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A book of condolences set out with a picture of the Queen at Saint George’s Anglican church in Lennoxville
By Gordon Lambie