In 1980, to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Manifestation of the Miraculous Medal, a seven-story Angelus Tower was built next to Saint Mary’s of the Barrens Church. At the top of the tower are housed three perfectly matched bells that were cast between 1868 and 1882.

The bells were removed from an old local church built by some of the first Catholic families in Perryville. The bells rang for 100 years. When the old church was torn down, the bells were carefully preserved here at the Shrine with the understanding that they later be built into some type of memorial or monument.

In the concrete foundation of the tower is buried one of the stained glass windows from the old Church. In the walls are embedded not only the names of all who contributed to its construction, but the names of the pastors, every parishioner baptized, married, or buried from the old church in the 100 years of its existence.

A mechanical devise inside of each bell is activated electronically to ring the bells for the noon Angelus and other special occasions.