The Story of Bells at St. Austin

Fr. Chuck announced last week that our new electronic bells in the church tower would ring out again on Easter Sunday.

Paulist Father Michael Smith came to Austin in May 1908 to look over the property at 21st and Guadalupe where St. Austin Chapel would be built. The year before, the Paulists had accepted the invitation from Galveston Bishop N.A. Gallagher to establish a center of Missionary activity in Austin. With the appointment of Fr. Smith, an active campaign for funds was begun over the State and in Austin. The local Knights of Columbus appointed a committee to solicit funds with S. V. Dooley as chairman.

Work on the chapel began nearly a year later. 1907-1908 were depression years and subscriptions were slow coming in. Fr. Smith returned to New York and was able to get $4,000 for the Church and $1,000 for the furnishings. At this time the Paulists thought the chapel would be a temporary structure. Charles Shurr was chosen as contractor and builder and George Endress was the architect selected to draw plans for the chapel to be in the Mission style.

The chapel was completed and included a tower. The first Mass was on Christmas 1908. But there was no money left for a bell! Years later a bell was installed in the tower, bearing the inscription: “Presented to St. Austin’s Chapel by Mrs. S. V. Dooley in honor of Pope St. Sylvester, December 31, 1915.” The tower feature was preserved in the new church building dedicated in 1953.