The St. Matthew Bell

History

The St. Matthew Bell was made by Joseph Bernhard in 1849 at his foundry located at No. 78 N 6^th St., Philadelphia, Pa as indicated on the bell itself. The bell, measuring 32” x 32” and weighing just under 1,000 lbs., was gifted to the Presbyterian Church in Dauphin by John W. Patton, Esq. of Philadelphia when the church was built in 1850. No other information could be found about Patton and his connection with the local church.

Joseph Bernhard was apprenticed under John Wilbank who owned a Philadelphia foundry. Wilbank also owned the cracked bell, later called the Liberty Bell, which was given to him by the city in partial payment for the casting of the sister bell to take the place of the cracked bell. Bernhard and Wilbank “drilled” the cracked bell to prevent further cracking. The bell purportedly cracked in 1846 when it was rung on George Washington’s birthday. Bernhard bells are still functioning in churches and lighthouses throughout the country today. A set of Carillon bells can be found at Villanova University outside of Philiadelphia.

In 1968 the Dauphin Presbyterian Church informed Father Daniel Menniti their church was for sale. In March, 1968, permission was granted to make the purchase which included the bell. Bishop George Leech took Father Menniti’s suggestion of St. Matthew the Apostle or St. Matthew the Evangelist and named the new mission church, St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. Bishop Leech celebrated the first Mass on March 31, 1968.

Restoration

The St. Matthew Bell was removed from our church on Allegheny St. on February 9, 2011 after the steeple was damaged by a storm. Having hung since 1850, it was covered with dust and guano (look it up). The bell was kept in the Parish Activity Center basement until May of 2014. McShane Bell of Glen Burnie, MD, having a history of restoration of bells in the Diocese of Harrisburg and surrounding areas, was selected to perform the restoration of the bell and the construction of the open tower.

Current Location

The current location for the bell tower was selected to give it a prominent location where the view and the ringing of the bell are not interfered with in any way. The concrete base will be finished in field stone matching the church. Future plans include a statue of St. Matthew on the base, directly under the bell.

Function/Ringing of the Bell

The Bell will be rung:

10 minutes prior to each weekend Mass

Start of weekend Masses – Saturday - 5 p.m., Sunday - 8 and 10:15 a.m.

Rung by remote – during Consecration/Elevation of host and chalice at all Masses

Noon and 6 p.m. daily for the praying of the Angelus (prayer below). Traditionally, the Angelus is prayed daily, and is still accompanied by the ringing of a bell (the Angelus bell) in some places such as Vatican City and parts of Germany and Ireland and now St. Matthew Parish. The Regina Coeli prayer (which may also be sung as a hymn) replaces the Angelus during the Easter season. The Angelus pays tribute to a crucial aspect of Mary’s role in the Incarnation, when it quotes from Luke’s Gospel “be it done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). This wonderful event could not have happened without her consent, without what is known as her fiat. By saying “yes” to God in allowing herself to become His mother, she showed us the ultimate example of trust in our Creator. Jesus loved us enough to die for us so that we might live with Him eternally. When we pray the Angelus with humility and love, we are emulating Mary’s faith in His goodness. We are blessed in that we can ask both God and His Blessed Mother for their assistance on our journey towards Eternal Life.