The Bells of Saint Mary’s

How many times have you heard Bing Crosby sing that song? How may times over the years have you heard the Garden State and Old Timers stop on Monmouth Street and play that wonderful song? Of course, by now, you know that song is \”The Bells of St. Mary’s.\”

What a blessed day when the 10 of us came to Gloucester City in the year of our Lord 1891.

Before we go any further let us introduce ourselves. My name is St. Mary, the largest bell; and my brothers are St. Joseph, St. Thomas, St. Michael, St. Patrick, St. Dominic, St. Ignatius, St. Benedict and St. Vincent DePaul, the smallest bell. The very first tunes we played on Saturday, November 28, 1891, were \”Holy God! We Praise Thy Name\” followed by \”America,\” \”St. Patrick’s Day,\” Rob Roy McGregor, \”The Star Spangled Banner,\” \”Wearing The Green,\” \”Robin Adair,\” \”Minstrel Boy,\” Auld Lang Syne and \”Nearer My God To Thee.\”

Now, this was only a trial run to see if we were in working order. Our real debut was the day of our dedication Sunday, November 29, 1891.

We started the day at 10 a.m. playing \”Ring Out the Bells\” and \”Jesus, Savior of my Soul.\” Then, at 3:30 p.m. \”Joy to the World.\”

At 7 p.m. we began with \”Chime Again Beautiful Bells.\” And, we did chime again and again for the people of Gloucester City, until that awful day on March 16, 1960, when the Monmouth Street School caught fire and the winds blew the flaming ambers into our magnificent ste-eple. Our brave firemen tried their best, but sadly the cross and part of the steeple crashed to the ground among the smoke and water.

After the fire, we lay silent for 38 years. Then during the ’98 Jubilee Year we were restored and our Pastor, Father Jordan, blessed and rededicated us on August 15, 1998. What a joy to ring out for the people of Gloucester again. What a thrill to play \”The Bells of St. Mary\” again.

During our restoration we had a visitor to our tower high in the sky. What a sweet, wonderful kind person she was. She prayed and left us. The many people she touched will never forget her. That visitor was Sister Mary Ryan.

We close our story of the bells with a line or two from the poem \”Magnificent ‘ol Saint Mary’s,\”
by Dal Gray.\”

\”No one could count the Masses, celebrated here or tolled as Chimes Pealed Forth, in silver tones the Sacred Hymns of old. The steeple, with symbolic cross so high above the ground, is like an angel keeping watch on our beloved town.\”

source Gloucester City News