Sound of the Bells of St. Peter Church

The Sound of the Bells of St. Peter Church Will Soon Return Several months ago, the electronic/digital bell system stopped working for unknown reasons. This precision instrument reproduces the sound of actual bells, and truly inspires us as it strikes the hours, the Angelus, and plays Easter hymns and Christmas carols as those seasons dictate. The positive side of this electronic/digital bell and carillon system is that it doesn’t require the maintenance of real tolling bells which we at St. Peter’s do have in our imposing and beautiful bell tower; however, after almost 60 years now, these bells, completely exposed to the elements and the weather, are in need of attention in order to be functional again. These three bells would only strike the hour, ring the Angelus, peal joyously together for weddings and other festive occasions, and toll for funerals, and are not capable of playing hymns and carols because there are only three bells and thus, only three notes, and hymns and carols are composed of many more than just three notes. In the future; however, I would like to explore what it would take to bring our three real bells to be functional and safe to be rung again. For many years now, churches all over the world have used and are still using electronic bell systems as their only bell/ carillon system or as a supplement to real bells. Such is the case with the Catholic churches of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The Stella Roman Foundation was established well over 60 years ago to provide churches with these electronic bell systems as gifts of the estate of Stella Roman. She set aside in her will that a certain sum of money was to be invested and used to fund the purchase of these bell systems for the churches of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Dioceses of Baton Rouge and Houma-Thibodaux. In addition to gifting these systems to churches, the foundation also replaces them when they break, malfunction, or just stop working, as it seems the fate of our bell system here at St. Peter’s. I am happy to announce that a new digital bell/carillon system will soon replace our old system that “just stopped working.” Fr. John Marse wrote the foundation trustees this past June, and at their meeting in August, the foundation members approved a replacement. In my own experience as a priest for the past 37 years, these bell systems get better, smaller in size yet more precise and accurate, each year. The system that we will soon receive is valued at $10,000 retail – certainly a wonderful gift to St. Peter Church parish as we approach the 60th anniversary in 2027 of the completion and dedication of our present church building. I will keep you updated on the installation of the equipment and will let you know when the bells will begin ringing again along the River Road and beyond in Reserve.