Power of Bells

The power of bells rings loud across Lisle, Illinois!

This past Easter, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church unveiled their new bell tower to the community, thanks to an anonymous donor. This unique tower shows the beauty of the refurbished bells with its open and “arch” like design.

The Church has acquired and had in their possession five historical bells. “For so many years our people… thought of them as anachronistic decorations,” said Father of St. Joan of Arch. “When they heard them ring… they recognized that these were living symbols that have a profound impact on the religious psyche of a community.” Two bells are from the parish by the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery. A fourth bell was given to the parish by Monks of St. Procopius Abbey and the fifth recently was donated by the Lisle Heritage Society. Therefore, it was time to provide the bells a home together. But first, the refurbishment of the bells to show their true colors and inscriptions.

Possibly one of the most interesting parts of this project is the inscription on the largest bell. A rough translation of the Czech text inscribed reads as followed…

Oh, the sacred and godly bell!

As your heart begins to beat in you

Let the hearts of all drown in prayer

May your clear sound protect everyone!

When your voice in the temple is called to godliness

Let the people draw before the alter with sweet power

Blessed dreams would flow to the couple

May your prayer reach God

And the soul you have ring to the edge

Your music will accompany the gate to Heaven.

This truly shows the power of bells to the faithful.

The custom arch like tower stands 25 feet tall and houses all 5 bells, side by side. Each bell has the ability to swing, and the largest bell can also toll with an outside striker. With a long roof to top off the tower, and two legs, the horizontal structure is one of the more unique towers you will find.

The Verdin Company is happy to have created this landmark for you community. We hope the bells continue to serve as the “Voice of God”, and the presence of St. Joan of Arc is heard.

See a video of the manufacturing process on our YouTube!

Bell and Carillon Projects – Featured 2021

The year 2021 brought some pretty unforgettable bell and carillon projects for The Verdin Company. These are just a few. The five customers featured recently held dedications for important restorations and new bell ringing equipment projects and/or installations.

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Electronic Carillon Bells Wow a Community

The addition of new electronic carillon bells creates nothing but positive chatter in Waynesville, Missouri! In a small town of 5,000 with many churches, Westside Baptist Church is the first in the community with a bell/chime system. Back in February of 2021, they had hired the Verdin Company to install the Adagio II carillon system.

This would not have been possible without the donor family. Sherye Sharp and her sisters donated the carillon in their father’s name who passed away recently. As a result, the project moved forward.

“My father was very open about his faith and his love for our country. We daughters feel the bell/chimes give him a voice to proclaim this…” Sherye wrote to The Verdin Company.

The Sharp family are not the only people in the community to notice the beautiful sounds from Westside Baptist Church. Similarly, patrons and citizens enjoy the new music. From signing in the church parking lot, to listening in the park, the sounds can be heard across town.

“Many have remarked about the peaceful, calming nature of the music, and how it adds to their Sunday worship experience. Some have been seen singing along with the song in the parking lot.  They are certainly a bright spot in this increasingly dark and chaotic world.”

The sisters not only heard positive feedback by word of mouth, but by letters and notes.

“I received a handwritten note from a women that lives close to the church saying how she often stopped what she was doing at home to listen… Others have said they stop their yard work to listen, or they just make a point to step outside to listen”, Sherye writes.

This is the second story we have shared recently where a community gives high praise to the Adagio II carillon system. In addition we received positive remarks from Woodlawn Cemetery Chapel in Canandaigua, NY.

The Verdin Company is ecstatic to here good news about the Adagio II from Westside Baptist Church as well. It shows the impact of the sound of bells on a community, even if through an electronic carillon system. Furthermore, we hope the joyous sounds uplift the community for decades to come.

Click here to learn more about electronic carillon bells!

Historic Bells Restored thanks to Donor!

The generosity of a donor helps the Nativity of Mary Parish (St. Mary’s) restore their historic bells! In early 2021, Carol Berner decided to make a generous donation to complete the bell restoration project. The donation is in honor of her late husband who passed just last year.

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Barrie’s newest landmark

The four-faced, 18-foot tall post clock was installed in Barrie, Ontario, Canada to honor Canada’s 150th birthday and the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International’s 100th anniversary. The clock has become Barrie’s newest landmark and completes a revamped waterfront that includes a new footbridge, separate bike path and extended boardwalk.

“We are thrilled with the public support of this initiative,” project co-chairperson Arlette Utton said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the citizens of Barrie to participate in this community project and leave their mark.”

At the base of the post clock are more than 1,000 personalized granite bricks that were sold to fund the cost of the entire waterfront project.

Verdin is a licensed vendor of Rotary post clocks and tower clocks.

Verdin to Mark 175th Anniversary

To commemorate this milestone, the company will hold celebrations over the course of the year. The special events will include open house factory tours, customer receptions, bell castings in our factory and throughout the United States with the world’s only traveling bell foundry. Guests will learn about the incredible craftsmanship and artistry that has made Verdin well known as the maker of the world’s finest bell instruments and clocks for 175 years.

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