Answered Prayers … and some history on our New Church Bell!

Many of the parishioners, and certainly the advisory committee and past priests, know of my long efforts to obtain a bell for our parish. Emails and snail mail, EBay bidding and fruitless auctions prevented my success. The cost of purchasing a newly made solid brass bell (approx $3400.00 US$ before shipping) soon became clear it would be difficult for Rick and me to fulfill the dream on our own.

My prayers always ended with a plea for God to grant me the means to get this done, preferably in my lifetime. A year, then two past by without the bell. At our advisor meetings, I conceded that our parish goals didn’t put such a lavish acquisition very high on the fund raising list and I foolishly gave up on the dream and dropped my plea from my prayers. I resigned myself to providing for it in my will.

Time saw the change and change brought our new parish priest, Fr. John. And with him came a renewed enthusiasm to bring our parish alive with community and good stewardship. I added my prayer for help to find a bell back into my prayers and hinted at improvements to the church might consider a bell over paint to anyone who would listen to my wishful thinking.

Fr. John began his busy and dedicated pastoral passions and he came to count on me to hold the fort, more or less, in the office. I found myself with little time for much else. Thankfully Michelle La Bossiere eased the load and came to help and cover for me when I took my Mom for a few days on a short holiday south of the border. Father wished me lovely time and though I earnestly tried to decline his very generous gift of $600.00 US dollars, was relentless and insisted I take the money with his gratitude. I decided I would deal with how to give it back some how when I returned.

Our trip proved wonderful from the start and I soon left all thoughts of home behind. Shopping for souvenirs filled our days and I bought Father a silver bell so he could call the choir to start the hymns before Mass.

Knowing my Mom’s love of all things in the past, we browsed through the antique shops of the quaint little town of Astoria, Oregon. In one shop, we found old marine treasures tossed to the beach by the sea. Old swords and shells, clocks and plates. Dolls, toys, and fine needlepoint fabrics lined shelves.

Memories filled every nook and cranny. Mom was reminiscing of days gone by when she was a child and had owned things in the store like this or that. She even spotted an old hand held school bell. Just as we were about to leave, the sun gleamed on something that caught my eye tucked in a corner on the floor.

Tarnished and well worn was a bell big enough to call the people to Mass. I closed my eyes and prayed the price tag that read “Antique Solid Brass Bell “, wasn’t outrageously out of my reach. Suddenly I heard Fr. John’s words... “God wants to answer your prayers”. He preached about where faith lives, you can be sure He listens, even if we don’t like His time table or answer for that matter. I prayed that my answer was that I had found a way I could put good use to Fr. John’s marvellous gift. Faint-heartedly, I turned over the tag, and Hallelujah! Praise God!! With Fr.’s unknowing help and if I could convince Rick to drive back down to buy this old bell since I couldn’t bring it back (as shipping it would indeed send it out of my reach) .... And if I had enough funds of my own saved in US $ to mange it, the price was indeed do-able. It was divine providence that I had finally found it and I knew I had to see it completed.

The owner of the antique shop said the bell had no stamp but was in an auction with marine artifacts over a hundred years old. It most likely served as a fog bell on a ship. Well the fog had finally lifted. I could hardly think of anything else until I could tell Rick about the bell. My sister and Mom didn’t complain of my constant chatter about my find!

Fr. John’s little silver bell souvenir could now be used as a hint of what was to come! Now we would have a real bell to call everyone to Mass!

I listen closer now to God’s voice. It isn’t nearly as loud as the bell but with practice and prayer I hope I’ve learned to hear Him more clearly.