The San Jose Bell is on display in the San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe New Mexico. Built in 1610, the San Miguel Mission is the oldest church in the United States. The San Jose Bell was cast in Southern Spain in 1356 to commemorate the Christian victory over the Moors. More gold and silver were needed to complete the bell so the local citizens donated their personal jewelry. The bell weighs 780 pounds and is on average 3.5 inches thick. It is composed of 600 pounds of copper, brass and iron, 155 pounds of silver and 20 pounds of gold. The inscription reads “San Jose, Rogad por nosotros Agosto 9 de 1356” (Saint Joseph pray for us August 9 1356). The bell was dedicated to Saint Joseph in return for the people’s prayers for victory being fulfilled. In 1812 Senora Loretta Ortiz purchased the bell in Vera Cruz Mexico and brought it to Santa Fe where she placed it in the courtyard of her home. In 1848, Don Simon Delgado, a relative of the Ortiz family, obtained the bell along with the San Miguel Mission. He built a three-tiered tower on top of the mission and hung the bell in the upper tower. During the winter of 1872 a winter storm caused the bell to shift and both the tower and bell fell. |
