An outdoor mass was held on Friday morning at the church to welcome the new bells and was attended by more than 50 followers, nuns and priests.
Imported from Germany, the 25 bronze-cast bells weigh 326 kilos in total.
The wooden framework was also made in Germany. The wooden frame is not held together by bolts and screws, but instead uses mortise and tenon joints to minimize echo.
The four biggest bells weight 61-145 kg and are engraved with the names of four archbishops of the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City.
The bells are operated by an electric motor, and create a sound like a symphony orchestra when they ring.
The smaller bells are installed in rows on a wooden bar at the top.
The bells were bought using funding meant for the renovation.
The renovation work, being done at a cost of over VND140 billion (US$5.98 million), began in 2017 and was expected to be finished in 2023, but has been delayed until 2027 due to Covid-19 since materials from Belgium, France and Germany would not arrive in time, the city culture department announced in August.
An incense burning ceremony in front of the new set of bells.
The use of bells has a long tradition in the history of the Catholic church, Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang said. Bells are sounded at fixed times of the day to gather followers and announce certain events, he said.
"With the Notre Dame Cathedral under renovation, the bells have stopped ringing for more than two years now, and carrying out liturgical activities without the sound of bells is sad.
"Therefore, the Episcopal see ordered the bells from Germany for use while waiting for the restoration work to be completed."
Ha said: "I’m a member of the choir at Notre Dame Cathedral. For the past two years the liturgy has lacked the sound of bells and it is quite sad. The new bells will make the upcoming Christmas season more solemn."
The church used to have six bells weighing more than 30 tons made in France in 1879 and placed in the two bell towers.
They are still intact but the wooden framework has been damaged. They have not rung since January 2020.
