The practice of naming bells is attributed to the notion of a bell having a "voice" which calls or gathers the community for prayer.

Rising 55 1/2 ft above the Illinois prairie, reminiscent of the early mission structure, it serves as a reminder of our Christian Mission - "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16: 15).

The bell weighs 1160 Ibs and is 39 1/2" in diameter. It is a refurbished bell from a Lutheran Church in Minnesota.

Ascending the stairs through the bell tower, one enters the Bruno M. Conterato Memorial Garden courtyard which is planted with a variety of perennials. The south wall of the church contains the corner stone of the original St.Peter Church at Fifth and James. It was blessed and laid by the Rt. Rev. Peter James Muldoon, first Bishop of the Diocese of Rockford on Labor Day, 1912.