The Bell Tower at the Church of the Redeemer

Towering sixty-five feet above the ground and standing as a permanent offering of glory to Almighty God is the great Bell Tower at the Church of the Redeemer. Housed within it are five bronze bells, dedicated 8 October 1967 which, day by day, week by week, call the people of Sarasota to the worship of God.

Made possible by a generous donation by Mrs. Irene Almeda Hope, the tower and its bells are in memory of her husband, Frank Radford Hope. The bells are German, cast at the Rudolph Perner foundry in Passau, a city famous for its bells since the 12th century.

Each of the bells is named and carries its own inscription. The powerful bass bell, depicting the Risen Christ and inscribed with the words, ''I am the resurrection and the life," is a D bell which weighs 3,335 pounds. Called by experts, "a magnificent octave third bell with internal harmony comparable to an organ," the bell has an immense resonance which holds sound for three minutes and can be heard for several miles. It is tolled alone at funerals.

The St. Joseph Bell is an F-sharp bell weighing 1,595 pounds and is inscribed with the words, "O ye humble and holy men of heart, bless ye the Lord." It is rung at the beginning of services.

The St. Francis Bell, weighing 883 pounds, is rung at the end of a service and bears the words, "They are not of the world, even so have I sent them into the world."

The St. Mary Bell is sounded at weddings at the church as the bride and groom process out. It is a 620-pound B bell containing the words, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord."

The Gabriel Bell is rung at the beginning and the end of the Canon of Consecration. It is a 2,174-pound E bell which bears the words, "Praise ye him all ye angels."

An electrical mechanism sets the bells in motion in the tower, insuring a superior tone to the sounds when motionless bells are struck.

Msgr. Max Tremmel, appointed by the German government as expert and examiner of bells, wrote a four-page opinion of the bells before they left Germany, "It may be stated that a unique and outstanding set of bells turned out concerning the exterior form as well as the musical quality ... . Consequently, a unique and excellent chime has come into being with considerable variety for which one may most cordially congratulate the purchaser and founder."