While in Williamsport this week, I walked around the Bells at St Boniface, hoping to find a plaque telling me more about them. Since I could not find one, I came home and did a quick search. The bells are described on the St Bonifice Church Website:
"On Sunday, August 18, 1894, at the request of the bishop, Father Koeper blessed a new bell, the gift of Mrs. Magdalena Steinbacher, nee Rung. Named St. Joseph, it weighed 1516 pounds and cost $227.00." That original bell weighed 1,516 pounds.
In 1907, the church tower was enlarged to a height of 145 feet In August of 1908, St Boniface church was finishing up the "extensive improvement work". Copper plates were being installed on the spire, and the new bells to be used in the church clock and chimes were ready for dedication.
On Sunday, August 16, 1908, the Most Reverend Bishop M. J. Hoban, blessed the four new bells.
These new bells were named:
- "Andreas Maria," the gift of Mr. Andreas Birkle, weighing 3030 pounds and costing $1,200;
- "The Sacred Heart," presented by the John Krimm estate. This weighed 840 pounds and cost $315.
- Then "St. Boniface," presented by the Young Men's Sodality, weighed 600 pounds and cost $200.
- "Immaculate," donated by the Young Women's Sodality, weighed 450 pounds, and cost $165.
The new bells rang for the first time at 3:00 PM, on August 19, 1908
On December 5th 1972, the St Bonifice Church was destroyed by a fire.
Three days later, the Sun Gazette reported that the four bells in the tower appeared to be intact and unharmed. The statues of St Peter and St Boniface which stood on either side of the altar, were thought to be salvageable
In January of 1973, the five large bells were removed from the burned out steeple and shipped to a foundry in Ohio to be tested, cleaned, and refinished. They were returned in 1977, and expected to ring again on Labor day of that year.
More about the 1972 fire, here:
In February of 1978, a neighbor complained that the bells disturbed her sleep. The church made the decision to turn the bells off between 11pm and 7am.
My daughter attended Lycoming College, living in the dorm near these bells. When I told her that each of the bells has a name, she told me that in 2020, "they really didn't sound too great".
Apparently there were problems with the bells at that time, but money was raised, during covid, and the bells were finished, and rededicated yet again in 2021. We'll need to make sure we are in the right area, at the right time, to hear them one of these days.
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The Clock Tower
1908 postcard showing the new tower
The St Boniface church clock was donated by John Coleman in 1872.
It was first lit at night on New Year's Eve, 1908.
Extensive repairs were made to the East Ends "Big Ben" in 1951 - when it was rebuilt and electrified.
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The Bench
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Bench dedicated in the memory of Rodney Allen Maneval- Radar
Rodney Allen “Radar” Maneval, 57, of Williamsport and formerly of Smokey Corners, passed away at UPMC Susquehanna, on Friday, April 24, 2020. He was born in Lewisburg the son of Glenn Oscar Maneval Sr. and Mary Bollinger Maneval on August 8, 1962.
Surviving in addition to his father are his siblings.
He was a graduate of West Snyder High School in Beaver Springs. Radar had served in the Army National Guard for over 27 years.
Radar was catholic and could be seen around many of the area churches, he was embraced by church members. A generous person at heart, he was known to have donated gallons of blood to the Red Cross over the years.
A service at St. Boniface Church, 326 Washington Blvd., Williamsport will take place 3:00 p.m. next Friday, May 8, 2020 near the bell tower of the church on the corner of Washington Blvd and Franklin Streets.
Crouse Funeral Home & Cremation Services has been entrusted with handling arrangements.
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