Nearly two years after Hurricane Ian ravaged much of Sanibel Island, it's the sound of recovery resonating. St. Michael's Episcopal Church along Periwinkle Way celebrated the re-erection of its bell tower on Wednesday.
The church's five bells, which rung since the 1960s three times a day on special occasions and Sunday services, were silenced when Ian's winds toppled the tower. The floodwaters left much of the building in need of restoration.
“The bell tower actually ended up on the porch of the church,” Rector Bill Van Oss said.
The bells, donated in memory of various parishioners over the years, were a significant loss in their temporary silence.
However, shortly after the storm, the Verdin Bell Company, the original manufacturers in Cincinnati, Ohio, offered to remake the tower stronger than before — this time of steel.
“It’s another sign of the resiliency of this island and hope,” Van Oss said, reflecting on the church's restoration and the island's recovery.
After a long journey, the bells were returned to their home. Their familiar chimes will ring out once more.
“It retains that memory, it retains that history,” Van Oss said. “But it builds something that’s just a little bit better and a little bit more resilient for our present and future.”
The restoration of the bell tower has been met with excitement from both church members and the wider community.
“The number of people who aren’t even members of St. Michael’s who have asked, ‘Is the bell tower coming back?’ has been remarkable,” Van Oss added.
Now, as the bells ring again, they serve as a reminder of hope and resilience for Sanibel's residents and visitors. Each chime invites a moment of reflection, a good thought, or perhaps a prayer.