Marist School

The Marist Bell Chapel: Honoring the Past, Ringing in the Future

Marist School is proud to introduce this year’s #iGiveCatholic initiative: The Marist Bell Chapel. The historic bell, created for St. Catherine’s Parish in Mobile, Alabama in 1914, was gifted to the founders of Blessed Trinity Shrine Retreat Center in 1965. For more than four decades, the Blessed Trinity Retreat Center served as the home of Marist’s Emmaus retreats for juniors and seniors. Ringing the bell marked the close of each retreat and became a symbol of reflection, community, and spiritual growth. When the retreat center made the difficult decision to close in December 2024, the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity entrusted the bell to Marist, and it was brought to campus this summer through the generosity of a dedicated donor.

Today we have an extraordinary opportunity to give the bell a new home at the heart of campus. In partnership with J. Ryan Duffey Architect, Marist has developed a vision for a permanent Bell Chapel structure in Alumni Plaza, framed by the Ivy Street Center, the Chanel Building, and Woodridge Center. The design pays tribute to our school’s rich history by incorporating elements of our original Ivy Street campus while embracing features that reflect the Marist community of today.

The Bell Chapel will serve as a meaningful focal point for campus life. A student-led Bell Society Committee is exploring ways to incorporate the bell into both longstanding and emerging traditions. Their work will help ensure that the bell becomes a lasting symbol of unity, reflection, and spiritual growth for generations of War Eagles to come.

The estimated cost of the Chapel Bell project was $250,000, and we are deeply grateful to share that the Bell Chapel structure is now fully funded. This meaningful addition to campus has been made possible through the generosity of our Marist community and will serve as a lasting place of prayer, reflection, and gathering for years to come.

While the Bell Chapel structure itself is complete from a funding perspective, we are continuing to secure support for landscaping and enhancements to the area surrounding the new Bell Chapel. These final elements will help create a welcoming and beautiful space that reflects the significance of the Chapel and the spirit of our community.

If you know of anyone who may be interested in contributing to these final beautification efforts, we invite you to contact the Marist Advancement Office at giving@marist.com or (770) 936-6424. In recognition of the significance of this effort and its lasting impact on our campus, leadership gifts of $5,000 or more will be recognized on the plaque installed at the Bell Chapel.

Please note that donations made through #iGiveCatholic are separate from Marist School’s Annual Fund.