New Church Bells Installed
A crowning event took place during the summer of 1924. We purchased three new bells for the church. The well-known firm of Struckstede and Brothers cast the bells in St. Louis. Before we installed the new bells high in the bell tower we gave each of the shiny new bells a proper blessing.
St. Joseph, St. Anne, and St. Henry.
The blessing of a bell reflects the initiation of a Christian. First a new bell is blessed with water - water which is especially blessed for the ceremony. Then the bell is anointed with Holy Oil. A name is given to the bell of a saint in whose honor the bell is blessed, and in whose honor it will ring to call Christians to worship.
We named our large bell for our patron saint, St. Henry, with the petition "pray for us". We named our medium bell for St. Anne, with the petition "cherish our devoted women". We named our small bell for St. Joseph, protector of Jesus, with the petition "protect our youth".
It was indeed a day of great joy when our three new bells were installed and first rang out their pleasing melody. Today the three bells continue to joyfully summon the community of Charleston to pray as well as to dignify our memories of the faithfully departed through the mournful toll of old St. Henry.
Excerpted from St. Henry Church 1873 - 1973.
