In the early part of the twentieth century, the Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania began to plan the construction of a  cathedral that would rival the great cathedrals of Europe. (New York and Washington too!) In 1921the "Pro-Cathedral" located at Broad and South Streets downtown was closed and the plans for the new  cathedral were in process.  In 1926 the site selected in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia was roughly the geographic center of the Delaware Valley. The Diocese paid half a million dollars to purchase slightly over one hundred acres of land.  Ground breaking was in 1932.  On All Saint's Day 1934 the first Mass was held in the apse of the unfinished Chapel of Saint Mary.  If the cathedral had been completed, it would have been the longest Gothic cathedral in the world.  Unfortunately only the apse of the Chapel was ever completed.

Due to economic pressures of the Great Depression and the second world war, the Cathedral project was abandoned.  The structure that remains is a unique place and is now an active parish.  In 1980 Cathedral Village, a retirement community, was opened adjacent to the unfinished cathedral. 

Twelve bells which made up  a chime in the old Pro-Cathedral were to be installed in the three hundred foot tower of the church.  The bells are still on the premises.  The tenor is on the lawn on display.  The rest of the bells are in the basement of the church.

The bells were cast at the Whitechapel, Foundry in London, England by Mears and Stainbank in 1896.  They were never used as change ringing bells, they were rung as a chime.  Hammers underneath the bells were controlled from a chime stand similar to the one at Saint Peter's Church.  In this case there were 12 bells, more than at Christ Church or Saint Peter's.  These bells could be easily modified to be hung for change ringing. The church would like to eventually have the bells re-hung to ring full circle for changes.  A tower would have to be constructed.  I would like to thank Mr. Wesley Parrott, organist of St. Mary's Church for graciously allowing me access to the bells and the church.  Many thanks also to Saint Mary's Rector, The Rev'd Thomas L. McClellan.

The Bells are in the Key of E-flat and have 10 bells tuned to a diatonic scale with two flat notes useful for playing of hymns when chiming.