Church bells could ring once more

The pealing of church bells at noon could become a reality in Geraldton if a local church can strike up the help it needs to have them installed.

The Catholic Church has been promised a set of bells for St Francis Xavier Cathedral, but need some specialists to donate their time and expertise to install them.

Heritage architect John Taylor, who is overseeing the multi-million dollar restoration of the cathedral and the building of the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre, has donated his time to co-ordinate the bells project.

Mr Taylor said the bells would provide a special finishing touch to a building that already has significant heritage value as it was designed by priest-architect Monsignor John Hawes.

“I think it’s going to complete and add more to the cathedral’s complexity,” he said.

“It has already got complexity, but the bells will add more to it. Monsignor Hawes was right at the fore of WA and Australian architecture.”

Geraldton Catholic Diocese director of heritage, Father Robert Cross, said bell ringer and patron of the Swan Bell Tower, Laith Reynolds, would donate a set of eight restored bells, which would be mechanised and synchronised to the church’s recently installed clock.

Fr Cross said the Church was pinning its hopes on Federal Government funding to complete the final stages of the cathedral conservation and fit-out of the new heritage centre, which would not stretch to fund the additional bells project.

He said the Church needed a structural engineer to volunteer to work out how to modify the limestone bell tower to accommodate the weight of the bells.

He also hoped to find a steel fabricator to donate the steel framework to support the bells. There were also other ways for people to be involved.

“Although the bells will already be paid for, Mr Reynolds has encouraged us to seek other donors to pay to have their names inscribed on a bell and the money would help to fund the installation project,” Fr Cross said.

“We would also like to find another five people to donate another five bells, which would give us a set of bells to cover a wide range of notes.”

For more information, contact Fr Cross on 9921 3221.