Restoration of Nagasaki's Urakami Cathedral Marked by Bell Return

Tokyo, Jul 18 (AP) – The Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki has blessed the final piece necessary to complete its restoration nearly 80 years after its destruction by the second atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Japan. This final piece is a reproduction of its lost bell, lovingly restored by a group of Americans.

The newly crafted bell, named “St Kateri Bell of Hope,” received a blessing from Peter Michiaki Nakamura, archbishop of Nagasaki, during a ceremony held at the cathedral on Thursday. The event was attended by over 100 followers and various participants.

The bell is slated to be hung inside the cathedral on August 9th, coinciding with the anniversary of the atomic bombing. This occasion will mark the first time the bell tower is complete with the bell since its destruction.

The catastrophic event on August 9, 1945, saw the US bomb detonating near the cathedral, resulting in the deaths of two priests and 24 followers within its walls, among more than 70,000 casualties in the city. Japan surrendered soon after, culminating the end of World War II.

The bombing reduced the original cathedral to ruins and destroyed its smaller bell. While the building was previously reconstructed, the smaller bell remained absent until now.

James Nolan Jr spearheaded the bell's restoration project. His inspiration came during his 2023 visit to Nagasaki when he learned about the lost bell from a local Catholic follower.

Nolan, who delivered talks on the atomic bombing and Nagasaki’s history of Catholic converts who practiced their faith secretly during Japan's feudal era, raised funds for the bell's restoration.

"I think it's beautiful, and the bell itself is more beautiful than I ever imagined," Nolan remarked after trying the bell for the first time. He expressed hope that the bell "will be a symbol of unity and will bear the fruits of fostering hope and peace in a world where there is division and war and hurt."

A sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, Nolan is intricately connected to the bomb's history as his grandfather participated in the Manhattan Project. His grandfather, a doctor, was on a team that surveyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki shortly after the bombings.

Drawing upon materials left by his grandfather, Nolan authored a book titled “Atomic Doctors,” which explores the ethical dilemmas faced by medical doctors involved in the Manhattan Project. (AP) SCY SCY

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