Baptism

Keeping Tradition with a Ship’s Bell

An extended Navy family have embraced the tradition of baptism using a ship’s bell, with cousins Beauden Tāne Bovett (12 months) and Ace Murray Littleton (4 months) united for the first time in November.

The occasion, substantially delayed due to geography, COVID-19 and Auckland lockdowns, used the bell from the Officer Training School, brought down to St Christopher’s Chapel in Devonport Naval Base. Ace’s father, Lieutenant Mark ‘LJ’ Littleton, had been posted as the Junior Officer Common Training Course Officer when he found out he was having Ace, and got permission to use the bell. Chaplain Glen Popata RNZN carried out the ceremony, using a paua shell to extend that connection to the sea. According to the Navy Museum, it is a custom to baptise a child under a ship’s bell, and sometimes the bell is used as a christening bowl with water for the ceremony (as in this case). The child’s name may be engraved inside the bell. LT Littleton says the cousins’ names will indeed be inscribed inside the bell during a downtime period for the Officer Training School.

From left: Jordan, Marie, Beauden, Chaplain Glen Popata, Ace, LT LJ Littleton, Zoe. Chaplain Popata uses a paua shell to perform the ceremony.