Bell Restoration Campaign
The Bells have been restored!!!
With the generous support of the parish, this effort has EXCEEDED the goal of $50,000.
Approximately $60,000 has been pledged.
The contract price from Verdin Bell cost $42,000.
The electrical work is expected to cost $10,000.00
Thank you for your generous and enthusiastic support of this project! The response has been overwhelming.
The bells are automatically programmed to ring:
The Regina Caeli/Angelus at 9am, 12 noon, 6pm
The bells will peal before Masses.
The bells will strike the hour and the half hour.
Regina Caeli Peal 6pm on Easter Sunday...
After 60 years, the bells need some help!
Bell Campaign Featured on Proclaim (starts at 6:30)
As of Tuesday February 9: $49,679.20 has been donated!
Thank you! Names (unless otherwise requested) will be printed once a month in the bulletin.
We have received $55,450.00 in pledges!
Some History:
Before the Church was finished being built, three bells were blessed and installed in the bell tower. St. Andrew Catholic Church has three bells in their tower that were installed by Verdin Bell Company in 1961. The bell weights are 1,320 pounds (Bell 1), 640 pounds(Bell 2), and 365 pounds (Bell 3) respectively. The bells are named in honor of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The big bell is so big that no foundry in the USA makes bells that big anymore. It would be wonderful to hear them ringing. In a time and age when many have forgotten about God, what a great way to remind the world by the very simple ringing of a bell. When bells are installed in a church, there is actually a prayer of exorcism that is used so that the sound of the bells may make demons flee. What a wonderful reminder also to those who are remaining home due to the virus, to hear the bells during the day to stop and pause for a few moments of prayer.
We are very blessed to currently have these three beautiful bells already installed in our tower.
So many have asked “what would it take to get the bells ringing again?”
A fair amount of work needs to be done to replace frayed electrical wiring, replace old and broken control components, and shore up any weak areas in terms of the brackets and harnesses that hold the bells. So of course, part of this is also a safety issue looking toward the future.
We are working with Verdin Bells and Clocks, which was the company that originally installed the bells in 1961. They are experts in the field of Church bells. They inspected our bells and provided us with a quote to restore the bells to working condition.
How much will this all cost?
The short answer is about $50,000. On the surface this is an amazing amount of money, but for a parish as generous as St Andrew, I know this will pose no problem! Together, as a parish family, I know that we can do this.
Tracy Yoder is the Chairwoman for the Bell Campaign. If you would like to help with being on this committee, please contact Tracy at (814) 525-3263.
Online donations can easily be made by clicking here