From the Archives: Bell Dedication at St. Aedan’s, 1947

On June 28, 1947, a carillon of fifteen bells was dedicated at St. Aedan’s Church in Jersey City. The bells were cast in France and brought to the United States in 1927 by Rev. Roger McGinley, the first pastor of St. Aedan’s. They remained in storage until 1945, when the church’s mortgage was paid off. In this photo, the bells are being prepared for placement on a special platform erected at the side of the church on Mercer Street, where they were washed with holy water and anointed with holy oil. Incense was then burned beneath the bells, allowing the smoke to permeate them. More than 4,500 people attended the ceremony.

(Photographer: Archdiocese of Newark parish files collection)

Editor’s note: All published archival photos can be found under the “From the Archives” tab in the top menu. For more information on the archdiocesan archives, visit rcan.org/archives.