The French Hospital Medical Center held a dedication ceremony Tuesday for its chapel's new tower bell.
The ceremony took place to bless and dedicate the newly crafted bell to the interfaith new Swanson Family Chapel, which broke ground in April.
The bell is custom forged and inscribed by a company known for forging bells since 1840. The bell tower is made to resemble the architecture of San Luis Obispo and Spanish Missions in California.
"We think that the bell is, as Chaplin floor indicates, really signifies as a sanctuary," said Alan Iftiniuk, French Hospital Medical Center President and CEO. "It calls the community into a place of peace and meditation and in contemplation. So the bell is symbolically very, very important for the chapel."
Organizers say the chapel will open to the public in 18 months. This is the first part of an expansion project for the hospital.
