If you ring it, they will come

Summoning the faithful to worship by the ringing of bells is an ancient tradition in the Christian church; one that is especially beloved in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition. The British have developed it into an art form, know as change ringing. When St. Benedict Episcopal Church was built in 1987 the original design called for a bell tower. However, money ran out and the tower was never completed. After a nearly 40-year wait, that plan is finally coming to fruition. We are in the process of building that long-awaited bell tower. This page will document that progress.

To follow the journey from the beginning,
jump to the bottom of the page, and scroll up.

A bell tower needs a good foundation. We don’t want our tower to lean that that one in Pisa. Forms set and concrete poured. Word has gotten out. Todd Henderson, the Canon for Property in the Diocese of Olympia came to visit. He is being shown the progress by our Junior Warden, Norman Gregory. Mr. Henderson be on the look-out for a second bell we can use.

Our bell will need strong brackets to hold it in place. Bell ringers can be enthusiastic. Here is Arthur Fischer from the Barony of Glimm Mere group that meets at St Benedict. He came to offer his professional welding skills to help Norman and Clarice make custom bell tower brackets as called for by the structural engineer.

A bell needs a tower. The designer of the St. Benedict Bell Tower is Dennis Lyons, shown here with the model for his design. Mr. Lyons is a known craftsman in our Community who is behind many of the projects that you see throughout the neighborhood.

It starts with a bell. We searched for a bell, and found an Episcopal Church willing to donate one. A good start, but we are looking for a companion, so it won’t feel lonely.