Bells
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The bells of St. Michael’s are such a joy to hear early in the morning on the weekends. The church includes three bells, which are named from largest to smallest: St. Anthony, St. John the Baptist, and St. Catherine. These three bells were blessed in October 1897. Father Francis Brand of Charleston spoke of the bells being like our souls. They are tried and tested, and if found pure, they will be swung high for use.
The bells were ordered from the St. Louis Bell Foundary and there weights are in order here: St. Anthony- 2,246 lbs, St. John-984 lbs, St. Catherine- 642.
Each bell bears a special inscription. On St. Anthony, the largest bell, the inscription is, “Anntonius A. Padua, Eximie Carus Deo et Hominibus. Omnes Te Dilligimus Omnes Te Invocamus.” Translated, this means, “St. Anthony of Padua, very dear to God and to men, we all love thee and we all invoke thee.” On St. John, the middle bell, the inscription reads, “S. Joannes Baptista, In Conspectu Alltissimi Deprecabitur Pro Nobis.” Translated, this reads, “St. John the Baptist will pray for us before the face of the Most High.” This bell was donated in memory of John Rothensteiner, from M. Magdalene. On St. Catherine, which is the smallest, the inscription is, “S. Catherina, Omnium Virginum Exemplar Esto.” This means, “St. Catherine, be thou the model of all virgins.” The bells are still in use today, and are now run by an electric timer with three motors. This makes precise ringing of the bells easy, and saves the labor of swinging all of the bells at once.
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