Disaster struck Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Easton, MN in September of 2018 when a large storm swept through the area. The top of the church tower ended up flat on the ground along with all three bells. This required a complete bell restoration. Pictures of the damage can be seen on Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s Website.
As quoted in this article “100 Year old Bells get a Makeover” in The Faribault County Register, Church Finance Council member Dale Stevermer is grateful the massive bells did not cause more damage.
“Thankfully the bells came down outside the church… The largest one weighs 1,300 pounds.”
Although some damage was averted to the church, the bell equipment suffered. The three beautiful bells were taken to The Verdin Company’s manufacturing facility for a complete bell restoration. The project with its new bell ringing equipment includes:
- New bell yokes and A-Stands
- Installation of a new tolling striker
- Sanding and polishing
- And more…
A separate company needed enough time to rebuild the tower and mitigate damage to other parts of the church structure. Meanwhile, we finished the refurbishment of the peal in 2019. In this project, it was very important to keep the authenticity of the bells. For example, it was crucial to the church history to…
- maintain the quality of Latin phrases from the book of Psalms on each bell.
- keep the memory of the etched inscriptions on the two smaller bells, dedicated to different families.
At the Verdin Company, we strive to satisfy our customers and keep traditions true. Certainly, the restoration of the historic three bell peal at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is exactly that. To keep and resurrect the voice of the church, even after disaster hit.
We are grateful and happy to help continue the legacy of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s tower.
