(RNS) — As churches across the country observe Good Friday, more than 100 congregations will also ring their bells to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Old North Church’s Lantern service, which marks the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
The “Let Freedom Ring!” project, initiated by the Center for Media and Democracy, invites churches and individuals to ring bells on Friday (April 18) “in solidarity with the Old North Church and to honor America’s historic struggle against tyranny,” per a National Council of Churches press release.
“We’re exceptionally moved that so many churches and faith communities want to share this anniversary with us today,” said the Rev. Matthew P. Caldwell, Old North’s priest.
The Old North Church’s Lantern service commemorates the night of April 18, 1775, when parishioners lit two lanterns atop the cathedral’s steeple to warn colonists of the arrival of British troops in Massachusetts. Paul Revere, a silversmith, became a central figure in the episode, known for his “Midnight Ride,” when he embarked on a horse-riding journey through the colony, warning minutemen of the British advance hours before the Lexington and Concord battles.
The 250th anniversary comes at “a profound time in our national life, when so many are feeling uncertain about what our future …