Grand Rapids Church campaigns to save 100-year-old bells

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It’s a sound Grand Rapid’s West Side residents have heard for centuries. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church has been ringing its bells since 1924.

Sacred Heart Entrance — The facade of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church.

This voice may soon be silenced unless sufficient funds are raised to save it.

“120 years ago, miners working in the gypsum mines of this city, Polish miners, wanted a place of worship that was a little closer to where they worked and where they lived,” explained Father Ron Floyd.

Thus was born the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. What emerged was the iconic sound of its bells.

Church Bells of the Sacred Heart — A photograph from an unknown date of the Sacred Heart Church bells, shortly before they were installed in the towers.

“We have four bells in our North Tower, the largest being the Sacred Heart Bell, which is the largest in Grand Rapids,” Floyd said.

Like many churches in the United States, Sacred Heart’s bells ring every hour. But that may stop soon.

“Engines are really at the end of their lifespan, and they’re going to get to the point where they’re going to stop working,” Floyd emphasized.

Today, most bells are operated electronically. Using an electric motor, the bell swings, causing the clapper to strike the interior of the bell. So we make that indistinguishable sound.

Clapper of the Sacred Heart's Bell — The bell clapper of the Sacred Heart

Pat Dochentz is a regional sales representative for Verdin Company. A family business that has been working on bells and clocks since 1842.

“We started electrifying the bells with the church in 1948,” Dochentz said. Since then, the Verdin Company has been Sacred Heart’s go-to for the repair and maintenance of its bells. It has been receiving various upgrades over the years.

But one day it caused great concern. “We started noticing bells ringing out of order and then one bell stopped ringing,” Floyd said.

Big concern? A long period of silence.

Sacred Heart Church Bell Tower — The north-facing bell tower of the Catholic Perish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“If they’ve been silenced for months or 45 days, you know, someone you know, for whatever reason, didn’t like the church being here or didn’t like the noise, they could file a complaint and that could be a legal issue,” Floyd said.

Verdin Company has a plan for just that. “Even if one or two of them fail and we replace these motors, the rest of the system will not be affected until the day of installation,” Dochentz emphasized.

Father Ron has another concern; that’s money.

“$19,000 is not the end of the world, but it is a significant price,” Floyd said.

A campaign was born to help with the cost. Called “Save the Bells,” this organization strives to raise funds within the community. “We decided to go out to our neighbors with the Save the Bells campaign flyer,” Floyd explained.

Save Bells Brochure — A leaflet for the Save the Bells campaign.

No matter the religion, bells serve as a constant reminder. A strong and lasting community. For this community, many people want to hear these things for another 100 years.

“When they’re not there, which is the real problem, then you really start to feel like something is missing, like some part of my childhood or my daily life,” Floyd emphasized.

To find out more and even donate to the Save the Bells campaign, Click here.

SAVE THE BELLS: Grand Rapids Church campaigns to save 100-year-old bells

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