On August 9, 1945 the largest Catholic Cathedral in East Asia was destroyed by the Fat Man atomic bomb. The original church had two bell towers. The bell from the right tower was recovered from the ruins and reinstalled in the new church that was built after the war. All these years later, the left tower has remained empty. The St. Kateri Institute is honored to be part of a project to make and give to the Nagasaki Catholics a new bell for the left tower. We are working with a foundry in St. Louis to make the new bell, which will look much like the original. Thank you for your contributions to this effort.
As of July 3, 2025, we have raised $120,685 of the $125,000 needed for the project. This total includes the cost of making the bell, transportation, and installation. Help us reach our goal of installing the bell before the 80th anniversary of the Nagasaki atom bomb.
The St. Kateri Institute is a tax-exempt, charitable, religious organization listed in the Federal Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3). Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.
A Japanese news network shows the bell ringing for the first time. We are excited for the bell to arrive in Nagasaki later this year. The bell can be heard one minute and forty-four seconds into the video.
The remains of the bell we will be replacing
The Cathedral ruins after the bomb
The new Cathedral
Nagasaki’s A-Bombed Urakami Cathedral Bell to be Restored; Grandson of a Manhattan Project Doctor and U.S. Catholics to Make Donations
August 23, 2024
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The St. Kateri Institute is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
