Latest news with #ImmaculateConceptionCathedral
Al Jazeera
09-08-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Nagasaki marks 80th anniversary of US atomic bomb attack on Japan
Twin cathedral bells will ring in unison in Nagasaki for the first time in 80 years, as the Japanese city commemorates the moment the United States decimated it with an atomic bomb eight decades ago. Crowds are set to gather at Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral on Saturday morning, as the church's two bells will ring together for the first time since 1945. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the southwestern port city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, at 11:02am local time, three days after it dropped a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima. About 74,000 people were killed in Nagasaki, while 140,000 were killed in Hiroshima. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of World War II. The church in Nagasaki, widely known as Urakami Cathedral, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the monstrous atomic explosion, the hypocentre of which was just a few hundred metres from the religious building. Only one of two church bells was recovered from the rubble. But, funded by Catholics in the US, a new second bell has been constructed and restored to the tower. It will chime on Saturday for the first time in 80 years at the exact moment the bomb was dropped. Nearly 100 countries are set to attend this year's commemorations in Nagasaki. Among the participants will be a representative from Russia, which has not been invited since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Israel, whose ambassador to Japan was not invited to the memorial last year over the country's war on Gaza, is also expected to attend. 'We wanted participants to come and witness directly the reality of the catastrophe that a nuclear weapon can cause,' a Nagasaki official said last week. Spearheading the fundraising campaign for the new church bell was James Nolan – a sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, whose grandfather participated in the Manhattan Project, which developed the US's first nuclear weapons. While doing research in Nagasaki, a Japanese Christian told him he would like to hear the cathedral's two bells ring together once again. Inspired, Nolan embarked on a yearlong series of lectures about the atomic bomb across the US, primarily in churches, ultimately raising approximately $125,000 to fund a new bell. It was unveiled in Nagasaki earlier this year. 'The reactions were magnificent. There were people literally in tears,' Nolan said. The cathedral's chief priest, Kenichi Yamamura, said the bell's restoration 'shows the greatness of humanity'. 'It's not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild, and in doing so, working together for peace,' Yamamura told the AFP news agency.
RTHK
09-08-2025
- General
- RTHK
Nagasaki bombing resounds as twin bells toll
Nagasaki bombing resounds as twin bells toll On Saturday, the two bells of Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral rang together for the first time since 1945. Photo: Reuters Twin cathedral bells rang in unison on Saturday in Nagasaki for the first time since the atomic bombing of the Japanese city 80 years ago. On August 9, 1945, at 11.02am, three days after a nuclear attack on Hiroshima, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. After heavy downpours on Saturday morning, the rain stopped shortly before a moment of silence and ceremony in which Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki urged the world to "stop armed conflicts immediately". "Eighty years have passed, and who could have imagined that the world would become like this?," he said. "A crisis that could threaten the survival of humanity, such as a nuclear war, is looming over each and every one of us living on this planet." About 74,000 people were killed in the southwestern port city, on top of the 140,000 killed in Hiroshima. Days later, on August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of World War II. Nagasaki resident Atsuko Higuchi, 50, said that "instead of thinking that these events belong to the past, we must remember that these are real events that took place. "In the end... when war breaks out, those who suffer the most are the little children or the mothers raising them." On Saturday, the two bells of Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral rang together for the first time since 1945. The imposing red-brick cathedral, with its twin bell towers atop a hill, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the explosion just a few hundred meters away. Only one of its two bells was recovered from the rubble, leaving the northern tower silent. With funds from US churchgoers, a new bell was constructed and restored to the tower, and chimed on Saturday at the exact moment the bomb was dropped. The cathedral's chief priest, Kenichi Yamamura, said the bell's restoration "shows the greatness of humanity". "It's not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild, and in doing so, working together for peace," Yamamura said. (AFP)
RTHK
09-08-2025
- General
- RTHK
Nagasaki bombing resounds as twin bells toll
Nagasaki bombing resounds as twin bells toll On Saturday, the two bells of Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral rang together for the first time since 1945. Photo: Reuters Twin cathedral bells rang in unison on Saturday in Nagasaki for the first time since the atomic bombing of the Japanese city 80 years ago. On August 9, 1945, at 11.02am, three days after a nuclear attack on Hiroshima, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. After heavy downpours on Saturday morning, the rain stopped shortly before a moment of silence and ceremony in which Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki urged the world to "stop armed conflicts immediately". "Eighty years have passed, and who could have imagined that the world would become like this?," he said. "A crisis that could threaten the survival of humanity, such as a nuclear war, is looming over each and every one of us living on this planet." About 74,000 people were killed in the southwestern port city, on top of the 140,000 killed in Hiroshima. Days later, on August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of World War II. Nagasaki resident Atsuko Higuchi, 50, said that "instead of thinking that these events belong to the past, we must remember that these are real events that took place. "In the end... when war breaks out, those who suffer the most are the little children or the mothers raising them." On Saturday, the two bells of Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral rang together for the first time since 1945. The imposing red-brick cathedral, with its twin bell towers atop a hill, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the explosion just a few hundred meters away. Only one of its two bells was recovered from the rubble, leaving the northern tower silent. With funds from US churchgoers, a new bell was constructed and restored to the tower, and chimed on Saturday at the exact moment the bomb was dropped. The cathedral's chief priest, Kenichi Yamamura, said the bell's restoration "shows the greatness of humanity". "It's not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild, and in doing so, working together for peace," Yamamura said. (AFP)
Al Jazeera
09-08-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Nagasaki cathedral bells to ring together for the first time since A-bomb
Twin cathedral bells will ring in unison in Nagasaki for the first time in 80 years, as the Japanese city commemorates the moment the United States decimated it with an atomic bomb eight decades ago. Crowds are set to gather at Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral on Saturday morning, as the church's two bells will ring together for the first time since 1945. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the southwestern port city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, at 11:02am local time, three days after it dropped a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima. About 74,000 people were killed in Nagasaki, while 140,000 were killed in Hiroshima. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of World War II. The church in Nagasaki, widely known as Urakami Cathedral, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the monstrous atomic explosion, the hypocentre of which was just a few hundred metres from the religious building. Only one of two church bells was recovered from the rubble. But, funded by Catholics in the US, a new second bell has been constructed and restored to the tower. It will chime on Saturday for the first time in 80 years at the exact moment the bomb was dropped. Nearly 100 countries are set to attend this year's commemorations in Nagasaki. Among the participants will be a representative from Russia, which has not been invited since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Israel, whose ambassador to Japan was not invited to the memorial last year over the country's war on Gaza, is also expected to attend. 'We wanted participants to come and witness directly the reality of the catastrophe that a nuclear weapon can cause,' a Nagasaki official said last week. Spearheading the fundraising campaign for the new church bell was James Nolan – a sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, whose grandfather participated in the Manhattan Project, which developed the US's first nuclear weapons. While doing research in Nagasaki, a Japanese Christian told him he would like to hear the cathedral's two bells ring together once again. Inspired, Nolan embarked on a yearlong series of lectures about the atomic bomb across the US, primarily in churches, ultimately raising approximately $125,000 to fund a new bell. It was unveiled in Nagasaki earlier this year. 'The reactions were magnificent. There were people literally in tears,' Nolan said. The cathedral's chief priest, Kenichi Yamamura, said the bell's restoration 'shows the greatness of humanity'. 'It's not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild, and in doing so, working together for peace,' Yamamura told the AFP news agency.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cathedral requires extensive repairs, council told
An 1830s church, designated as a cathedral by the Pope, is in need of extensive repairs after becoming riddled with wet rot, a report has said. Following an inspection at St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Preston, documents submitted to the city's council revealed that the building's drainage system had "failed significantly". They also said rot had "taken hold" of the vestry roof after decades of water seepage and gutter failure at the Grade II-listed place of worship in Meadow Street. Plans have been outlined for gutter and floor replacement work at the cathedral, which is also known as St. Ignatius Church, as well as roof and stonework repairs. An initial assessment found entire roof timbers in some parts of the building were "saturated and decayed with wet rot". The church was part of the Diocese of Lancaster until 2014, when it briefly closed after the congregation declined. It reopened the following year to serve local Roman Catholics from the Indian Syro-Malabar community. Pope Francis designated it as a new cathedral in 2016. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Pope creates Indian Catholic cathedral
