DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa church got an extra-special addition to their Easter celebration, and it's one that was in the works for more than 100 years.
At The Kathedral in Des Moines, the congregation heard the sounds of ringing bells for the first time in more than a century.
"Every time those bells ring, we're proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. It's the sound that's going out from here, we believe it's a blessing to the community," said Kenney Linhart, pastor of The Kathedral.
The Kathedral has a storied history.
The building was struck by a fire in 1917, back when it was known as Grace Methodist. Although a temporary roof was installed to cover the congregation, other repairs were put on hold due to World War I. The church changed hands multiple times, until Linhart and the church's members began restoring the old building in 2016.
"There were even talks about tearing it down, but now this building is being restored in a beautiful way, and that bell is just another way to say this is where we're at in in the process," Linhart said.
The new ringing may not be coming from a bell itself — the church has a new set of loudspeakers installed in the former bell tower — but there's lots more that's been done to refurbish the century-old building. Plumbing and electrical systems had to be updated, walls were rebuilt.
There's still a bit left to do, but the crown jewel will be a nine-foot-tall cross set to be installed at the top of the building, overlooking one of the highest points in Des Moines.
"When you're in here, day after day, it's kind of hard to see the progress. But if I look back to 2010, I look back to 2015. I'm amazed that the work that God has done here," Linhart said.
The sounds of the Kathedral's ringing bells aren't just limited to sermons. They will be playing hourly from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day of the year, although on most Sundays, they start at noon, instead.
Sunday sermons at The Kathedral are held at 10 a.m.