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Voice of The Church

Posted at May 27, 2008 15:56

By Amanda Dahling

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote
that “bells are the voice of the church; they
have tones that touch and search the hearts
of young and old.” Church bells aren’t merely
the voice of the church; they often become
the voice of a community as well. They’ve
long been a signal of reflection, remembrance,
and resilience. Throughout Missouri, these
bells have been ringing for more than a century,
and their chimes reveal a varied history.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Regina Coeli
Conception
Migrating from Switzerland in 1873, abbot Frowin Conrad envisioned a
monastic community in Missouri with a church “as dignified as possible” to
serve the needs of the irish and german settlers in the area. he played a large
role in developing Conception abbey, including its architecture, as he decided
the romanesque style was better suited to the classic simplicity he hoped
for in the monastery. on May 20, 1883, the monks laid the cornerstone of
the church. Construction on the church wrapped up eight years later.

Tragedy struck a few years later when a tornado damaged the church, but
the monks quickly picked up the pieces and added the now famous murals
that adorn the interior. Two sprawling bell towers were completed in 1896.
The church became the first basilica west of the Mississippi river in 1941,
when Pope Pius Xii designated it a minor basilica in recognition of its dignity,
historical significance, and importance as a center for spirituality.

Five bells of varying weights, obtained from the Stuckstede Foundry at St.
Louis, are stored in the north tower. They are named from lightest to heaviest
Matthew, Mark, Luke, john, and regina Coeli, which is also a prayer
titled for the Virgin Mary. The bells are rung by monks six times a day to
call their brothers to prayer and Mass. The number of bells rung depends on
the liturgical rank of the day. Matthew and Mark ring on ordinary days, and
Luke joins in for feasts or holy days commemorating events or people. john
and regina Coeli are added for solemnities, principal holy days for events
in the lives of jesus, Mary, or the saints. The largest bells, john and regina
Coeli, have tollers or hammers that knock against the stationary bell. john
tolls when a monk passes away and for other funerals, while regina Coeli
tolls when an abbot dies.

Northeast Missouri’s Largest Steeple
Edina
The first official Catholic Mass held at edina took place in june 1843 when
Father Thomas Cusack arrived in town. The Mass occurred in a small family
home. as settlers continued to move into the area, the need for a church
building became apparent. First came the tiny “log church” in 1844, which
was replaced the next decade by a larger brick building. after migration skyrocketed
following the Civil war, the brick structure was no longer suitable
either. in 1872, construction on St. joseph Catholic Church began. architect
and designer Louis weishar designed the church to accommodate the needs
of the parish as it grew into the future.

The church dedication occurred in 1875, but renovations and additions
continued for several years. in 1890, construction on the church steeple
ended, making the tower, at two hundred feet, the largest in northeast
Missouri. The bell that had been rung for services was placed in the church
steeple, and the congregation began a search for new bells that could be
heard all over town. Members of the congregation soon donated three
bells—two bells for general tolling and one bell for funerals—to the church.
Dedication and blessing of the bells occurred at a St. Joseph’s Day Mass on
March 19, 1900. One hundred and seven years later, the bells still ring for
church services, funerals, weddings, and special occasions.

The ringing of the church bells also reminds some people at Edina of
tragedy and the fragility of life. Five years after the bells were added to the
steeple, William Weisher, a young man from a beloved family in the congregation
and also the church architect’s son, was making repairs to the church
steeple when he fell to the tower floor. Laying there with crushed bones and
little chance of being rescued, he managed to get ahold of the church bell
ropes and began ringing the heaviest bells. Help soon arrived, but William
passed away from blood poisoning the next day.

The “Good Bell”
Cole Camp
When emigrants fled germany from religious, economic, and political
persecution, many of them made homes in Missouri. St. Paul’s Evangelical
Lutheran Church was built on little more than these immigrants’ faith
and determination. In 1882, the charter members of the group—which
included farmers, mercantile store owners, the postmaster, and a freight
hauler—drafted a constitution formally making themselves a congregation.
They discussed two possible locations for a church: one between Cole Camp
and neighboring Mora, and one in Cole Camp itself. Cole Camp won out,
and the group set up a building contract for a church.

For the church dedication later that year, members of the congregation
were responsible for finding the necessary items to fill the empty house
of worship. Louis grother was in charge of finding the bell that would be
placed in the tower. He reported back finding a “good bell” that had a twoyear
guarantee for, at the time, a not-so-meager ninety dollars. The pastor
and congregation decided to take the risk, and the “good bell” is still in use
in the church tower today, more than 125 years later.

Hammers of a Different Kind
Pierce City
The First Congregational United Church of Christ began as an accident
when in 1870 reverend J. H. Harwood, a traveling minister, missed a
connection to another town. When heavy rains kept him from traveling
further, he held services in a hardware store the following day. Five years
later, a congregation of forty-five members born of that service, finished
building its new church. Through the years the building has been remodeled,
renovated, and enlarged.

The bell tower has proven to be the most resilient part of the church.
In 1880, the church was struck by lightning during a severe storm and
the tower was badly damaged. It was quickly renovated and restored. but
disaster struck again on May 4, 2003, when a tornado ripped through the
town and sliced the tower into two pieces. The church suffered more than
seventy-five thousand dollars in damages, but the half-ton brass bell made
it relatively unscathed through the carnage. During the storm, it was ripped
from the tower and fell to the concrete below. a large crack in the sidewalk is
still visible, but the bell survived the fall. The tower had to be replaced from
the foundation up. The bell tower had to be reconstructed on the ground
and turned out almost identical to the original. The only thing lost in the
reconstruction was a little bit of height.

Two months later on July 3, with the new bell tower completed and
raised, the bell once again sat at home.

Changes of Venue
Cape Girardeau
The First Presbyterian Church at Cape girardeau began as a small house
gathering of eight members set up in 1835 by reverend J. F. Cowan,
minister of the apple Creek Presbyterian Church in nearby Pocahontas.
Dr. David Edward Young rice took charge of the small group and began a
congregation. rice conducted the first worship service in the Washington
Female Seminary, and under his leadership, the congregation purchased a
lot on Lorimier Street.

In 1854, the eighteen members of the First Presbyterian congregation
built their first church. The original two-story church was razed in 1901
so that the new church could be built on the corner. The new church was
finished a year later in 1902.

The church bell has a strong connection to the community. Upon
completion of the church, the bell hung from a wooden scaffold outside the
church on the street corner. The bell acted as the community fire bell, a
prisoner escape alarm, and a school bell. When the congregation built a new
church a few years later, the church moved the bell into a tower. The bell was
moved again to the present sanctuary, dedicated in 1966.
The 153-year-old bell still rings on Sunday for church services, specialty
services, such as funerals, and for commemorating community events.

December 2007

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