Pittsburgh-area church bells ready to ring again on Easter Sunday
LEECHBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- When one thinks of Easter Sunday, it is hard not to envision a church with bells ringing out and reverberating throughout the community.
But at First Evangelical Lutheran in Leechburg, they have experienced many Sundays over the last almost two years without the peal of their 28 bell carillon.
Pastor James "Jim" Arter says that the silence has been not only a bit tough, but it's been a bit boring.
"It has been very dull, because we time our lives to the ringing of these bells," said Pastor Jim. "If we have a meeting at 6 o'clock, the bells ring at 6 and we know it is time to start. And when the bells went silent, there was this big question of can they ring again?"
The reason for the bells falling silent could be attributed to the divine power of Mother Nature. It is thought that almost two years ago, a lightning strike fried the electrical system and box that controlled the bells, and since carillon electrical systems aren't just something one can pick up at a local hardware or music store, First Evangelical Lutheran had to revamp the entire system for their bells.
"We are a 120-member congregation, so we are not huge," said Pastor Jim. "And being with inflation and all the economic troubles in the area, it was hard to say if we were even going to be able to do this. But thankfully, the Lord provided, and we decided that shortly after Easter last year that we were going to give it a go and amazingly the support we got just blew us away."
Over $30,000 was raised and after a few months of restoration, the bells now can be programmed through a new computer system, played manually through the keyboard and even be controlled by a special app on Pastor Jim's phone.
While the carillon will officially go back into service on Easter Sunday, the church is going to keep their fundraiser active for the bells to help with tower maintenance, which they estimate will be around $1,000 a year.
There will also be an official rededication ceremony for the carillon on Saturday, May 5 at 4 p.m. that will be open to the public.
"They are known in the community as the 'heartbeat of Leechburg,'" said Pastor Jim. "And what makes it so special is that it keeps songs of hope and joy alive in this community. And it gives us the sense too that our community does have a future. And that the future is very bright for us, and that people still care."
First Evangelical Lutheran Church is located at 358 Main Street in Leechburg. More information can be found on the church on their Facebook page.