Church builds new tower

Heather Holman
Summer Reporter

By the end of August there will be a new structure to decorate the Purdue campus.

Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, St. Tom's, is going to begin the reconstruction of their bell tower on June 1.

Between the years 1951 and 1964, St. Tom's had a bell tower that was on the corner of Marstellar and State Street. The bell tower housed one bell that was used to summon people to worship.

When the church underwent its first addition, the architect tore down the bell tower. He thought that the highest point on the new church should be the cross that was placed over the altar.

Since the bell tower was too tall it was torn down. The bell was moved under a flat roof, but was soon removed due to damage of the structural line of the roof caused by the weight of the bell. The bell was then put into storage, where it has been ever since.

"I hated it when they took it down," said Mary Stiller, a retired professor of Biological Sciences.

Frank W. Lynch, president of the Purdue Newman Club during the 1931 to 1932 school year, gave a gift specifically for the reconstruction of the tower. The Tower will be named after him in his honor. There were also personal donations along with alumnus help to fund the project.

"We wanted to bring back the bell tower," said Father Patrick Click, pastor of St. Tom's.

The new Bell Tower will be rebuilt to replace the old one. The traditions of the original tower will continue with the new.

The new structure will be built in the same location of the original and the bells will ring three times a day at 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. for the Angelus prayer. The bell will also ring on Sundays, as it did it in the past.

There will be a cross that will be placed on top of the tower, which was designed by Steve Visser, associate professor in the Industrial Design Department.

The bell tower will have three bronze bells. All the bells are named after a Saint, in honor or memory of a specific person.

The largest bell, weighing 1,500 pounds, is from the original bell tower. There are two names on the bell for which the bell is honoring, but the Saint's name of the bell is unknown.

The second largest bell, 900 pounds, is named Saint Christopher in memory of Click's deceased brother, Christopher. The smallest bell, 500 pounds, will be named Saint Mary, after Mary Stiller. "It was a complete surprise," Stiller said.

Stiller recently celebrated her 25^th anniversary at St. Tom's as a committed parishioner. "She has been very supportive of the ministry and the campus ministry through the years," Click said.

Donations for the bells were given in order to have the people honored.

Stiller has been a member of St. Tom's before there was a bell tower. Stiller has been around Purdue since 1949 and saw the old bell tower in its entirety.

She said that she thinks it's wonderful that the church is bringing back the bell tower. "It'll be great to hear the bells ringing," Stiller said.

The dedication of the Frank W. Lynch Bell Tower will take place during Purdue's Homecoming Weekend on October 23 and 24.

For more information, call 743-4652 or visit St. Tom's Web site www.sttoms-purdue.org.

Police help boy reach goal

Board to vote on Jischke

Despite recent rain, drought still possible

Church builds new tower

Space and Purdue