From Aleteia:
Church bells have been around since the 5th century and were in common usage in the Middle Ages. They were particularly used by monastic communities to call the monks, who during the day were in various places in the monastery, to gather for prayer in the chapel.
However, the church bells also have great spiritual power. When a new church bell is installed it is traditionally “baptized” or “consecrated” by the bishop or local priest. Former ceremonies mirrored that of baptism and the current ceremony still requires the use of holy water. The bells are also given a name in honor of a particular patron saint, though many are named after the Blessed Virgin Mary.