Sep 11, 2016 5 min read

TYRONE – Since 2003, three church bells suspended high above Tyrone Borough have remained silent.

Now, after a local Boy Scout devoted hours to work and fundraising, they will toll again.

In a bell tower about six stories from the ground, Matt Beam, 16, recently discussed his project, hoping the bells at St. Matthew Catholic Church, which date to the late 1800s, would soon be functional.

“I thought it would be good for the community. It would be good for the church,” he said.

Beam is a Scout in Troop 300, and he took on the bell refurbishing task in hopes of attaining an Eagle Scout rank – the Boy Scouts of America’s highest.

The project’s origin came a few years back, when a parishioner asked Beam’s father, Michael Beam, a mechanical engineer, to look at the nonfunctioning bells, Matt Beam said.

The goal was to again hear them ring, and Matt Beam said he eagerly took on the challenge.

The three bells – 1,300 pounds, 500 pounds and 300 pounds – haven’t been heard since December 2003, when they were rung manually, according to the Rev. Jozef Kovacik, parish priest.

“The bell mechanisms, to the best of my knowledge, started breaking down in the early 2000s,” he said. “They have not tolled since 2003 using their mechanisms.”

The mechanisms he referred to relied on analog mechanics, which were attached to cables that would ring the bells, Michael Beam said.

“At its time, it was first class,” Michael Beam said, explaining the mechanics are now considered “outdated.”

Earlier, the bells were rung by hand using a rope-and-pulley system, he said.

Looking forward, the Beams said they knew the mechanisms needed an update.

The downfall: That update would require $64,000 – covering work on the bells, as well as needed roofing and electrical work in the bell tower.

Some research predated the project, but, with approval from church leaders and Boy Scout officials, it got its start about a year-and-a-half ago. Then Matt Beam started soliciting donations, he said.

“I made up a speech, and I went in front of all the Masses,” he said. “They were really excited.”

Kovacik confirmed the excitement among the St. Matthew churchgoers.

“All the comments from the congregation have been very positive and encouraging. I remember one parishioner commenting: ‘My father is turning over in his grave with joy knowing the bells will work again,”‘ he said.

With the speeches, as well as circulated pamphlets, Matt Beam said he was able to raise needed funds between October and April. Most donations came from the congregation – of which the Beams are members. And Matt Beam said he found that amazing.

“I learned how generous they can be with their donations,” he said.

He said some congregation members even offered to donate electrical work – originally estimated to cost thousands.

With money raised, a challenge still remained.

To get into the tower, the Beams and other workers had to climb multiple sets of frighteningly steep, aged stairs that ended a few feet short of their destination, requiring them to crawl up through a small opening in the floor of the belfry.

“My first reaction was, ‘Oh, you are not going to get me up here,”‘ Matt Beam said, revealing he’s made the journey numerous times since. “I’m just so used to it now. It doesn’t bother me anymore.”

In fact, the Beams have carried hundreds of pounds of equipment and materials up the stairs. They estimated it was six stories from the ground, and, from the tower’s openings, seemingly all of Tyrone was visible.

Both Beams were in the belfry Tuesday, where Steve Schoenig with Verdin Bells & Clocks was working. Schoenig was hired to help set the three bells up with new frames and to attach them to an electrical ringing mechanism.

He said the bells are still in good condition, and each one rings in a different tune.

The new, electronic mechanism is hooked to bike-chain-like hardware, which rings the bell, Michael Beam said. He added that it can be activated with a remote control.

Installation began early in the week, and Schoenig estimated it’d be finished by Wednesday. On Friday, Kovacik emailed an update.

“Restoration of the bells is finished now with just some electrical and programing issues needed to be worked out,” he said, revealing they will likely come back into use by mid-September.

The bells will be rung to call people to prayer and worship, as well as during special occasions, such as weddings and funerals, Kovacik said.

The finished project also will included a donor recognition board, which will include an old tolling hammer and will be installed somewhere on church property, the Beams said.

Michael Beam, who also is an assistant leader of Troop 300, said the scope of work was impressive.

“This is a very large Eagle Scout project,” he said.

While leading the community service project, Matt Beam said he benefited, too.

“It’s a lot of work,” he said. “It’s just a real learning experience.”