2 December, 2015
St. John the Evangelist inaugurated its 150th year as a parish at each of its four Masses last weekend, November 28-29, with the sonorous peal of its church bell, rung for the first time in decades. The bell originally hung in the tower of St. Malachi, Hopkinton's first Catholic church, that once stood on Cedar Street roughly across from the present post office. Built in 1851, St. Malachi received its first resident pastor, Father Barry, fifteen years later, with its designation in 1866 as a parish. That makes the bell over 150 years old.
“We felt a little apprehensive last Saturday afternoon when some of us met in the choir loft to rehearse the bell tolling. Was the bell in working order? What would happen when the men gave that dangling rope a good pull?” recounted Mary Kniaz, a member of St. John's Anniversary Committee. “It was a real yay-boo story,” she explained. “Gazing up, we were thrilled to hear the bell's first, deep peals, and then the next thing we knew, the rope was falling to our feet!” Parishioner Brian Johnston saved the day when he climbed the formidable height to the bell, made a repair, and re-attached the rope.
When will we hear St. John's bell again? The bell ringers are hoping for Christmas. “Next time we'll follow Church tradition and ring them only nine times in three sets of three,” Debbie Johnston explained. “We were all so exited about re-awakening the bell that we may have overdone it, but then how often do we celebrate 150 years as a parish!
