The historic Norfield Congregational Church in Weston hoisted a new yoke in its bell tower Tuesday morning to support its nearly 200-year-old, 800-pound church bell — which had not rung in more than a year.

Former First Selectman Woody Bliss also gave a brand-new bell to the one-room schoolhouse behind the church in honor of his wife Prue, who died of cancer.

The steeple bell will continue to ring manually, as it has for almost two centuries. But the new bell will ring in unison with help from a smartphone app.

"All of us need to think of honoring those people in our lives who are important to us," Bliss said. "We have lots of different ways to do it."

The Blisses both attended the church for many years.