Echoes of Faith: St. Mary’s Church Commissions New Bell Through Living Christ Campaign
For the first time in decades, the bell tower at St. Mary’s Church in Sandusky will ring with the full harmony of three bells—thanks to the generosity of parishioners and the success of the Diocese of Toledo’s Living Christ Campaign.
Since the 1990s, one of the parish’s original bells had been cracked and silent. But in 2024, campaign funds made it possible to commission a brand-new bell to replace it. Weighing in at over 700 pounds and tuned to the note of B, the new bell was cast by The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was delivered in April and displayed in the St. Mary’s Commons, where parishioners had the opportunity to see it up close and witness its blessing by the pastor, Fr. Monte Hoyles.
On Monday, April 28, the bell was officially installed in the tower—joining its longsilent counterparts and restoring the church’s full, three-bell harmony. The bell has been named Nicolas, in honor of the church’s founding pastor, Rev. Nicolas Moes, who oversaw the construction of St. Mary’s in 1873. This momentous occasion also gave the parish an opportunity to do something never done before: name all three of the church’s bells. Rooted in centuries of Catholic tradition, the naming and blessing—or “baptism”—of bells underscores their sacred purpose and connection to the spiritual life of the community.
After collecting over 125 name suggestions from parishioners, a committee selected the final trio:
- Gabriel Elizabeth (largest bell): Honoring both the Archangel Gabriel and St. Elizabeth, cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary—whose words together form the first half of the Hail Mary prayer.
- Simeon (middle and oldest bell): Named for the prophet who foresaw the Blessed Mother’s sorrow, echoing her title as Mother of Sorrows—St. Mary’s patroness.
- Nicolas (new bell): Remembering the church’s founder and the enduring generosity of saints and parishioners alike.
Together, these three bells—G#, F#, and now B—will once again ring out in full harmony, calling the faithful to prayer, marking sacred celebrations, and lifting hearts to God. As Fr. Hoyles shared, “May Nicolas, who weighs in at just about 750 pounds, ring out to the glory of God for decades to come!”
Read more in the latest Living Christ newsletter.
Posted May 21, 2025 at 8:13 am