The Bells of St. Michael’s

Charles Lamb in his essay on "New Year's Eve" gravely states his opinion, that the sound of bells is "the music highest bordering on heaven".

Indeed there is a harmony between the church bell and all our religious aspirations. Long since had it been the desire of my people to have a larger bell in place of the old one that had so long called them to the house of God; and this desire of priest and people was embodied in a prayer which the children were to recite daily until the great bell or rather the peal of three bells should arrive.

We have always found that the prayer of children and all childlike hearts is most powerful; yet it is equally certain that prayer does not render unnecessary our earnest endeavors.

Three bells, a full peal, were ordered from the St. Louis Bell Foundry, the largest two thousand two hundred and forty-six pounds, the second nine hundred and eighty-four pounds, and the third six hundred and forty-one pounds.

A separate tower was erected at once, as the little church spire could not have safely housed the smallest one of the bells. The amount needed was easily raised by donations and the activities of the Ladies* Guild.

The bells were blessed by Msgr. H. Muehlsiepen V. G.. on Tuesday the nineteenth of October, 1897. They were to mark the seventieth anniversary, though not the exact day, of the coming of Father Potini as first resident priest of St. Michael's.

"The nineteenth of October, 1897," wrote the Madison County Tribune, "will long be remembered by the Catholics of St. Michael's Parish as the Jubilee Day of their Seventieth Anniversary. The Solemn High Mass and the beautiful sermon, the singing of the Te Deum, ending with the consecration of the bells are events too impressive to be easily forgotten."

Father Francis Brand of Charleston spoke eloquently of the Church as being our Father's House and our own spiritual home, where the weary always find consolation and peace. Then he dwelt at length on the memorable history of St. Michael's; spoke hopefully of the future, ending with the beautiful comparison:

"Before the bells are cast, there is always a form or mould made in the earth into which the melted metal is poured. When perfectly hardened and cold, the bell is taken out and tried and tested, and if found pure and sound will be swung on high for use.  So with the soul of man.  After its mould, this body of clay, is broken in death, the soul will be judged and, if found pure and deserving, will be taken up by God for His own, to praise Him for ever and ever."

According to Catholic custom each bell bore a name and inscription.  These inscriptions, of course, have reference to the sainted persons for whom the bell were named.  They are in Latin.  We will give them in the original and in translation.

The largest bell is named St. Anthony; the legend is:

“Antonius A. Padua, Eximie Carus Deo et Hominibus.  Omnes Te Diligimus, Omnes Te Invocamus,” and signifies:  “St. Anthony of Padua, very dear to God and to men, we all love thee, we all invoke the.”  Or in verse:

“Anthony of Padua they bell shall tell

How loved thous wert on earth of God and men,

And How, no less then then,

Thy name is on men’s lips and in their hearts as well.”

The second bell is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and bears the inscription:

“S. Joannes Baptista, In Conspectu Altissimi Deprecabitur Pro Nobis.”  “St. John Baptist will pray for us before the face of the Most High.”

Below:  “In memory of her husband, John Rothensteiner, the widowed M. Magdalene gave me.”

The smallest bell has for its patron St. Catherine of Siena.  The legend reads:

“St. Catharina, Omnium Virginum Exemplar Esto.”  “St. Catherine, be thou the model of all virgins.”

As the church bells are the tuneful messengers of God’s church to the people, it is well that we should understand the meaning of the various announcements.  Every sound of the bell is a call, an invitation, or a reproach:

“When mirth and joy are on the wing,

We ring;

To Call the folks to church in time,

We chime;

When God requires of man his soul,

We toll.”

The order, then will be as follows:

For the Angelus every day, morning, noon and evening – St. Anthony tolled and St. John rung.

On Saturdays at 6 P.M.. and on the eve of Feasts, after the Angelus – All the bells are rung for ten minutes to ring in the day of the Lord.

On Sundays and Feast Days of Obligation – For Low Mass – First bell:  St. John; beginning of Mass:  John and St. Catherine.

For High Mass – First bell:  St. Anthony; beginning of Mass:  Full Peal

Sunday Evening Services

For first call, St. John and St Catherine; For second  call:  Full Peal

For High Mass on week days – As for Low Mass on Sundays,

For Low Mass on week days --  St. Catherine

At Funerals,

Of Adults – St. Anthony and St. John tolled alternately.

Of Young People – St. John tolled.

Of Infants – St. Catherine rung.

In memory of the children of the Parish School of that day, who by their prayer, helped to obtain the bells of St. Michael’s, I would subjoin.