Most Holy Redeemer Church bell tower shines anew, lighting Up Alphabet City after decades of darkness

ALPHABET CITY - After decades of being dark, the bell tower at Most Holy Redeemer Church in Alphabet City lit up the neighborhood on Saturday night.

The carol "Silent Night" played melodically out of the tower’s new electronic carillon bells, the sounds of Christmas resonating throughout the streets. 

"With the clock not working, and no lights, it made this church seem like it was a closed church," a parishioner said. 

The moment was a special one for longtime churchgoers, who hadn’t seen the historic church and tower lit with bells right loudly in more than two decades. The restoration which began in October also replaced the broken clocks.

"I think it brings the neighborhood to life. And for people to realize that there is a vibrant church open right here for everyone to come," a parishioner said.

New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan presided over the inaugural mass, blessing the tower during a procession out onto Third Street. 

"When they see their beloved parish, my God, it goes back to 1851, it’s still alive and still confident," Dolan said. 

And it wasn’t just parishioners who were out. Several residents watched the procession and took in the bells from their apartment windows, making this Christmas at Most Holy Redeemer a special one for the community.