Kicker: New bells for the belfry

MARY REICHARD, HOST: The bells of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Dallas called people to church for more than a hundred years until the 1980s, when the bells fell silent for want of repair.

Efforts to fix the problem seemed insurmountable: missing parts, faulty new parts, rain delays… not to mention the cost.

Enter a determined widow named Leah Stuekerjurgen. Her late husband Dennis wanted to pay to repair the bells. So along with some skilled volunteers, his wish was granted on Thanksgiving weekend:

SOUND: [BELLS PEALING]

A fun twist to the story is the Rector’s smart phone directs the strikes and swings of the bells. No human needed to pull the rope and swing the bell!

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: A clapper on the back to them!

REICHARD: It’s The World and Everything in It.

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