St. Mary's Church blesses, commissions new bell

SANDUSKY — 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 more than 700 pounds and tuned to the note of B, the new bell was cast by The Verdin Co. of Cincinnati. It was delivered in April and displayed at St. Mary's Church where parishioners had the opportunity to see it up close and witness its blessing by Father Monte Hoyles, pastor of St. Mary's Church, after Mass on April 27. On Monday, April 28, the bell was officially installed in the tower, joining its long-silent counterparts and restoring the church's full, three-bell harmony. 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 120 name suggestions from parishioners, a committee selected the final trio: • Gabriel Elizabeth, the 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, the 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, the new bell, to remember the church's founding pastor, Father Nicolas Moes, who oversaw the construction of St. Mary's in 1873 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 Father Hoyles shared when blessing the statue, "May Nicolas ring out to the glory of God for decades to come."