Nagasaki Cathedral Restores Atomic Bomb-Lost Bell After 80 Years

The Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki has restored its smaller bell, nearly 80 years after its destruction by the US atomic bomb dropped on August 9, 1945. The new bell, named 'St Kateri Bell of Hope,' was blessed by Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura in a ceremony attended by over 100 people and will be installed in the cathedral's bell tower on the bombing's anniversary. The restoration project was led by James Nolan Jr., a sociology professor at Williams College and grandson of a Manhattan Project doctor, who was inspired to recreate the bell after learning about its history during a 2023 visit to Nagasaki. Nolan raised funds through lectures about the atomic bombing and the history of Catholic converts in the region, hoping the bell will symbolize unity, hope, and peace amid global divisions and conflict. The original smaller bell was destroyed alongside the cathedral, which has since been rebuilt, but the bell tower remained empty until this restoration. The bombing killed two priests and 24 followers inside the cathedral, contributing to the more than 70,000 deaths in Nagasaki and precipitating Japan's surrender to end World War II.