ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — An Albuquerque resident says new bells and the constant playing of “Amazing Grace” by a Latino Catholic church have created a living hell for her.
KOB-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico, reports Bernadette Hall-Cuaron says she can no longer stand the regular ding-dongs coming from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church’s new electronic bell system.
Hall-Cuaron says the bells ring about 20 to 25 times a day and its keeping people from church because the sounds are so bad. She says the sounds make it hard for her to sleep.
“The bells ring multiple times a day during the week, and play ‘Amazing Grace’ during the week, and then they run multiple times again during the weekend,” she told the station.
Hall-Cuaron said the bells are making it very hard for her to work from home, or to rest if not feeling well.
“And as far as I know, no one in the neighborhood was ever consulted to the installation and the volume of the bells being installed at the church,” she said.
Father Joe Vigil says he’s responded to the complaints by lowering the volume and moved the bells from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., but he added he would not stop the bells, since he says several people in the neighborhood have told him they love the bells.
Hall-Cuaron told KOB-TV the bells were not bringing people to the church.
“Because of the volume and frequency of the bells, this is not calling people to the church,” she said. “It is keeping them from wanting to go to the church because it’s so annoying.”
Crux staff contributed to this report.