Please join us!
• Saturday, September 10, 2022 • 10:00AM •
WHERE: Immaculata Church project site
701 North 2nd Street, St. Marys, KS 66536
WHEN: Saturday, September 10 at 10:00AM
WHAT: Laying the cornerstone & consecrating our five liturgical bells in front of the Immaculata
This outdoor event will take place on the front west plaza of The Immaculata and will be followed by a limited “open house” visit of the interior of the church still under construction.
Bells have been employed in Catholic churches throughout the centuries to mark the hours of prayer and to call the faithful into the church. It is most fitting, given their sacred purpose, that special attention be devoted to the rites of their consecration.
Even since very early times, bells are historically associated with divine worship. It became customary to “baptize” them, assigning them the names of patron saints and with godparents. Once the bells are blessed, they become consecrated for divine worship and are elevated to the dignity of sacramentals.
The Immaculata will have five bells, crafted by the Paccard Foundry in Annecy, France. They will be given the names:
Maria Immaculata: this will be the main bell of the church and weighs 7,716 lbs
Sts. Benedict and Scholastica: who are the patrons against wicked spirits and against storms
St. John the Baptist: which will be used for calling the faithful to Mass and for the consecration
St. Gabriel: will be used for the Angelus
St. Lazarus: will be used as the death knell
More about the bells can be found on our website here.
Towards the end of the ceremony, the cornerstone of the Immaculata will be laid at the entrance of the church. This stone is marked with the Marian crossed-M symbol which will be found as a theme throughout the church, together with the date of installation, MMXXII (2022).
The miniature bell replicas will be blessed by the bishop at the end of this ceremony. Anyone who has purchased one may retrieve theirs directly following the event.
Artistic rendering of the Immaculata’s bell towers
