Did You Know? The Liberty Bell Has A 'Sister'

 

Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, and city officials to welcome the Sister of the Liberty Bell,  which recently returned home to Saint Augustine Catholic Church. The fourth oldest Catholic Church in Philadelphia, it is located at 4^th and Vine Streets and was founded in 1796. Saint Augustine was the first permanent establishment of the Augustinian Order in the United States.

Saturday, May 7, 2022
 10:30 a.m. 
 Saint Augustine Catholic Church
 243 North Lawrence Street
 Philadelphia, PA 19106

Bishop Senior will be joined by Reverend William Waters, OSA, Pastor of Saint Augustine Catholic Church; Shelia Hess, Philadelphia City Representative; Jim Cuorato, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center; and Philadelphia City Council Member, Mark F. Squilla.

All people of goodwill are welcome to participate in the ceremonial blessing in-person or virtually.  The blessing will be streamed live beginning at 10:30 a.m. via https://masslivestream.com/churches/staugustinechurch.  

Following the conclusion of the ceremonial blessing, a reception will be held with light refreshments.  

Background on the Sister of the Liberty Bell 

The Sister of the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia during the summer of 1754. It was purchased to replace the original Liberty Bell, which had cracked. When the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly voted not to replace the original Liberty Bell, it was hung on a special cupola in front of the Liberty Bell, attached to the State House clock. Both bells ran on special occasions.

In 1830, Reverend Michael Hurley, O.S.A., Pastor of Saint Augustine Church, purchased the Sister Bell. On May 8, 1844, the bell was destroyed when members of the Native American Party burned Saint Augustine’s Church to the ground. The bell was recast in 1847 at a greatly reduced size. She was sent to Villanova College founded in 1842 by the Augustinian Friars who served at Saint Augustine Church. 

The Sister Bell hung in a locust tree and was used to call the students to class, chapel and their meals 1847-1917. In 1917 she was sent to Jamaica Long Island and was used in the steeple of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Augustinian Church, but on September 20, 1942 she returned to Villanova for the inauguration of the Centennial year 1942-1943.

The Sister Bell  returned home to Saint Augustine Catholic Church on January 13, 2022.

To learn more about the Sister of the Liberty Bell, please visit https://blog.library.villanova.edu/2009/12/10/life-as-the-sister-of-the-liberty-bell/. 

 Note: Founded in 1796, Saint Augustine Parish presently has 762 registered families and 1,420 registered parishioners. The Church serves as an important anchor in the community, and provides space and support for a number of groups and services including; Women of Hope – an assisted living facility for women in need, Veterans Multi-Service Center for Women Programs, weekly 12-step programs, and more.

For more information, please visit http://www.st-augustinechurch.com/.