Tuesday, October 24, 2017

RINGING TRUE!

Here's a good trivia question:  What is the oldest thing on our parish campus?  The pews?  The stained glass windows?  The arch over the door?  Those things are all original to our 125 year old church, but one thing we know actually pre-dates our current building, and that is the steeple bell!


At the very beginning of Project 2017 it was discovered that there was water coming into  the steeple.  Several workers (very thin ones!) crawled up into the steeple to investigate the source of the leak (which was later repaired of course) and took these photos of our bell.  The words on the bell say  "McShane Bell Foundry, Henry McShane & Co.,  Baltimore, Maryland, 1875."

Since the conception of the company in 1856, McShane Bell Foundry has been producing America's finest Church Bells, Ring Peal, Chimes and Carillons, with over 300,000 McShane church bells ringing out from the towers of Cathedrals, Churches, Municipal Buildings, Universities and schools all over the world. The McShane Foundry is still in business today and is the only large church bell manufacturer remaining in the United States. The founder hailed from Dundalk, Ireland, and named a neighborhood in Baltimore for his hometown after beginning the business in 1856.

 Source: The McShane Bell Foundry, Henry McShane Manufacturing Co., proprietors,
Baltimore, Md, USA, catalogue, The Library of Congres
Back in 1874 there was a building that served as St. Francis de Sales church other than the one we have today. A priest named Fr. Zimmer became pastor that year and he was on a mission to make some updates to the building.  He successfully organized picnics, dances, and fairs to raise money to make repairs and improvements.  He collected $1000 and used those funds to erect a steeple, purchase an organ, and build the rectory.  He also bought a single bell (yes the one you hear today!)  from McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland.  The bell itself weighs 1200 pounds and cost 32 cents a pound. There was a dedication in October of 1875, (yes that would be 142 years ago!) and the nine oldest parishioners had the honor of ringing the bell.

St Francis de Sales' bell is automated to ring five minutes prior to all weekend Masses as well as on the hour with a single tone.  At  6 a.m, noon and 6 p.m. there is a special ring in honor of the traditional Catholic devotion of Angelus. Listen for it and say a Hail Mary!

There are some parishioners that remember "ringing the bell" as altar boys.  When Fr. O'Connor was pastor, the church underwent a renovation in 1959.  At that time  the bell was somewhat refurbished and the electric ringer and toll mechanism were installed.  More recently, you might remember that there were several years when the bell was "silent" as it was in need of repair.  About 10 years ago some generous parishioners stepped up and had it fixed.  It's been faithfully calling the faithful to church ever since! 

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