The Miraculous Medal Shrine

Links to Carillon Inventories
GCNA	Tower Bells	Bok Tower Gardens

A carillon was installed in 1901 at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at St. Vincent's Seminary in Philadelphia, a gift of Margaret Maguire. The 26 bells were cast by Les Fils de Georges Paccard of Annecy, France.

The carillon was first played on April 29, 1901 and was later enlarged to 47 bells.

The Shine of the Miraculous Medal was dedicated in 1927.

Arthur Lynde Bigelow wrote in 1946 that this was "the first tuned carillon to be installed in the New World."

References
1901 Public Ledger, Philadelphia, February 14, 1901

1901 The Catholic Standard and Times, v. 6, no . 13, February 23, 1901;
The bells are twenty-six in number, running through three octaves; the largest weighs 3,300 pounds and the smallest is a wee tinkler of 30 pounds. Without doubt they rank with any in the world. The chimes of Trinity and Christ Churches, New York City, have nine or ten bells of excellent quality, but of one octave. On a chime of such small range all music for the most part must be transposed or especially written for it. This will not be the case with the new chime in Germantown. Its compass is such that any piece of music can be played upon it at will without any transposing whatever.
The fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers of the firm were all bell founders; it is evident that what the Paccards do not know about bellfounding is hardly worth knowing.... The composition of the metal is their secret, and the moulds for each bell are so perfect that no chipping off or adding to of metal for perfect tone after casting is necessary. The mouth of each bell tapers to a thinness as fine as a coffee cup and one sweep of a file or of a piece of sand-paper around the rim would change its tone.... The first eleven bells bear the names of the saints, and the remaining fifteen are named in honor of the fifteen mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

1901 Philadelphia Press, February 25, 1901.

1901 Independent Gazette, March 12, 1901

1901 "Chimes Blessed by Bishop," The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 26, 1901, Page 2.
Bishop Prendergast has blessed the chime of twenty-six bells, which are to be placed in the tower of tbe chapel of the Immaculate Conception, on East Chelten avenue, Germantown. The chimes are a gift of Miss Margaret Maguire. of Germantown. as memorials for her father, mother, sisters and brothers.

1901 "St. Vincent's Chimes May Ring Next Sunday," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 19, 1901, Page 16.
One of the Largest and Finest Sets of Church Bills in the World Is Now Nearing Completion.

1901 "Second Best set of Chimes in the World for Philadelphia," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 29, 1901, Page 7.

1901 The Monthly Magazine, May, 1901. | possible |

1907 Germantown Chronicle, Nov . 29, 1907.

1927 "Shrine Dedicated," The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 9, 1927, Page 6.
Cardinal Officiates at Ceremonies in St. Vincent Seminary

1946 Writing by Arthur Lynde Bigelow, (probably from his papers at Princeton University, see 1991 source below)
The bells of St. Vincent's represent the finest instrument cast in the 1800's. Furthermore they are the first tuned carillon to be installed in the New World, and are a perfect example of Old World craftsmanship ... In the bells of Germantown we see united the beauty of tone with the beauty of form and decoration. Beautiful to hear, the bells are also beautiful to look upon. The designs of the bells, the inscriptions, the filigree work, the festoons about their waists, and the decorations about their shoulders, the exquisitely molded and cast bas-reliefs and high reliefs of the crucifixes and figures of saints, complete to the fmest detail, all bespeak the love of the founder for his bells. Every bell is complete with its crown by which the bells are attached to their wooden beams.

1960 Miraculous Medal Magazine, v.32, no.4, March 1960

1963 Miraculous Medal Magazine v.36, no.2, Sept. 1963

1971 Miraculous Medal Magazine v.44, no .3, Dec. 1971.

1991 "The Carillon at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal," by Janet S. Dundore, Germantown Crier 43(2):32-36 (Spring 1991)

2019 "Hear that? Philly’s carillonists get creative to ‘unhide’ some of America’s oldest bells," by Ximena Conde/WHYY, September 17, 2019

Arthur L. Bigelow Papers, 1941-1966, Princeton University