DETROIT (WWJ) - After two decades and extensive restoration efforts, the Beaubien Bell will once again ring out this weekend at centuries-old Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit.
Officials with Ste. Anne De Detroit -- which was found in 1701 and is the the second oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in the United States -- said special Masses will be held on Sunday, December 10th, at its location on Sainte Anne Street in Detroit's Hubbard Richard neighborhood, to celebrate the restoration of the historic Beaubien Bell.
"The Beaubien Bell was a gift from Antoine Beaubien in 1848 to the stone church Fr. Gabriel Richard built-in 1818," church officials said a statement about the occasion. "When the current Basilica was built, that bell was transferred to the east tower, opposite a set of Carillon bells in the west tower."
The Beaubien Bell, while intact, underwent repairs after the church discovered the mechanism that held them in place had rotted and was in disrepair due to age.
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The twin steeples that houses both the Beaubien Bell and the Carillon bells were also restored at about $3 million.
Monsignor Chuck Kosanke, rector of the Basilica, said the opportunity to restore these historic -- and iconic -- pieces of the church was only made possible due to "generous donors."
"This project could not be financed with parish operating funds or raised solely from the parish community," church officials stated.
Ste. Anne de Detroit is slated for further phases of restoration with work likely to begin in 2025.
Officials invite all to join their special services on Sunday as follows:
10 a.m. Spanish Mass
11 a.m. Pancake Breakfast sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
11:45 a.m. Ringing of the bells on the plaza
12 p.m. English Mass
For more information about Ste. Anne de Detroit, visit here.
