bell dedication

Thanks to Betty Trent for the photos from the bell dedication. Here's the story from the paper.

The tolling of generations can be heard in three bells settled in the bell tower at Holy Family Catholic Church. Gathered from historic churches no longer in use, the forged, bronze bells will preserve the heritage of the original parishes, said Holy Family Parish Manager Joe Bird. Holy Family's new home at 271 Fourth Street Way came from the consolidation of six parishes and resulted in the closure of three churches in the city of Fond du Lac. Its new bell tower was dedicated during a Sept. 7 church service by Bishop William P. Callahan, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

One of the bells was saved from St. Louis Catholic Church after the building was destroyed by fire in March 2007. Another came from St. Patrick Church when it was sold to developers in 2007. Three more bells were taken from the tower at St. Peter Catholic Church in St. Peter, since they were no longer being used.

Of the three bells from St. Peter, one resides in the new bell tower at Holy Family. "It had a sound closest to matching up with the other two from St. Pat's and St. Louis. The three bells together form a musical B major chord," said Paul Thelen, director of music and liturgy at Holy Family.

The oldest of the bronze bells, forged in 1880, will be displayed on the grounds at St. Peter's. Bird said the names of the original donors are on the bell. Many of the donors are from families that first settled in this area.

The third St. Peter's bell was given to the company that completed the bell project in exchange for services, Bird noted. Chime Master of Ohio restored the old bells, fit them with new, electronic ringers, then brought them back from Ohio and hung them in the church steeple. Cost of the entire project came in around $30,000.

The largest church bell came from St. Patrick. Made in 1883 by the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore, Md., it weighs in at more than 2,000 pounds, Thelen said. The St. Peter's bell mounted in the tower dates back to 1929 and was made by the Stuckstede Company from St. Louis, Mo. The St. Louis bell was forged in 1941 by Meneely Company of Watervliet, N.Y.

Thelen said the gathering of the bells into one tower represents the gathering of church members from different parishes under one roof.

"It furthers our unity as one parish," he said. "It's symbolic that we have pieces from our historic churches here in Fond du Lac all coming together under one parish."