[Source: Tony Arranaga, Channel 15] — From glory, to hard times, to papal blessings, St. Mary’s Basilica in Downtown Phoenix has weathered more than a century to sing once again. Parishoners, growing in numbers in recent years, heard silenced bells toll once again late Saturday afternoon. Jerome Doris says the three bells were silenced after the church went through a rough period with the rest of downtown.
The church spent nearly $60,000 to fix the three bells, and is looking to make other improvements to keep up with the rapid growth in that section of Phoenix. ASU’s downtown campus is up and running, so is a nearby high rise Sheraton Hotel, and the newest wing of the convention center is set to open early next year. St. Mary’s is hoping to raise two million dollars to finish other upgrades around the facility. The church is raffling a car later this month, to find out more, click here.
Downtown Voices Coalition 