MADISON — The morning of November 5 marked the next step in the cathedral renovation project for the Diocese of Madison.

On that day, five bells were installed into the tower at the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

The procedure was a delicate maneuver that required near-perfect weather with little to no wind.

A crane lowered the assembly into the bell tower of the century-old church. 

Construction crews navigated around power lines and utilities, traffic on Atwood Ave., and the church building itself.

Members of the community and local media came out to witness the installation.

“This is a very significant milestone in the project,” said Fr. Michael Radowicz, pastor of the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. 

“With our location in the center part of the city, I think that will be an important gift — for people to be able to hear those bells and know that we’re marking something significant in the life of the Church.”

Following the consecration, Father Radowicz said the bells will ring on the hour and half hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, in addition to marking significant occasions such as ordinations, funerals, weddings, or the death or selection of a pope or bishop.

“The bells will toll for all those important moments,” Father Radowicz said.

About the bells

The collection of bells includes two bells from the former Cathedral of St. Raphael and three from St. Bernard Church. 

The former cathedral bells had been in storage in Ohio since 2005 being saved for a future project, while the three St. Bernard bells were removed from the church last year to be cleaned and prepared for use in the new cathedral.

“That is a very significant part of the project as well, the direct connection we have to history,” Father Radowicz said.

Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison blessed and rechristened all five bells for the new cathedral in a special dedication earlier this year. The names of the bells are: Mary, Mother of Hope and St. Bernard of Clairvaux for the two bells from the former St. Raphael Cathedral; and Mary, Mother of the Church, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist for the original three from St. Bernard Church.

A third bell from the former Cathedral of St. Raphael was installed at the Valley of Our Lady Monastery, a community of contemplative Nuns of the Cistercian Order, located near Hollandale.

The new tower frame to support the bells was transported to the site of the cathedral from McFarlane Manufacturing in Sauk City this past summer.

Project in progress

The Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 2438 Atwood Ave., Madison, has been undergoing extensive renovations since 2023, when Pope Francis designated the parish church on Madison’s east side as the new cathedral for the Diocese of Madison.

The designation marked a historic moment for the diocese, restoring a cathedral presence for the first time in two decades. 

The diocese’s former Cathedral of St. Raphael, located just off the Capitol Square in Madison, was destroyed by arson in 2005. 

The new cathedral is anticipated to be consecrated in early 2026.

For more information on the cathedral project, go to madisoncathedral.org