Church Bell Tower Accidentally Rings 13 Times During Fall-Back, Declares Miracle

The bell tower of St. Barnabas Church rang 13 times during a fall-back rehearsal Sunday, an event the congregation has unanimously declared ‘a miracle,’ the vestry has declared ‘a scheduling error,’ and the bell-ringer has declared ‘the best moment of my life.’

‘I was supposed to ring the 2 a.m. hour twice, to practice the encore,’ said bell-ringer Thaddeus Wren, 78, who also serves as president of the Grandfather Clock Guild. ‘I got excited. Thirteen happened. You can’t un-ring a miracle.’

Attendance at Sunday service tripled following the incident, with parishioners describing the 13th chime as ‘transcendent,’ ‘a sign,’ and, in the words of one attendee, ‘really loud, but in a holy way.’

The vestry has voted to incorporate the 13th chime into the official fall-back observance, rebranding it ‘the Bonus Chime’ and selling commemorative programs for $5, proceeds to benefit the church’s ‘Bell Maintenance and Miracle Documentation Fund.’

Skeptics note that Wren has a documented history of ‘enthusiastic over-ringing,’ including the 2019 incident in which Easter was announced ‘approximately 40 times.’ Wren dismisses the criticism. ‘Easter deserved it,’ he said.

The Time Zone Ombudsman has declined to rule on the miracle, stating that ‘miracles are outside our jurisdiction, but we wish St. Barnabas well with theirs.’