St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, established in January 1840, is the first Roman Catholic Parish in Phoenixville, PA. Several other parishes in both Chester and Montgomery counties began as satellites or missions from our parish. In 1854, a church bell was cast for St. Mary of the Assumption Church. A year later, on July 4, 1855, Bishop John Neumann came from Philadelphia to bless the bell. It was a hot and rainy day but the summer weather did not stop the many parishioners from witnessing that blessing and hearing the first "official" ring. The original bell remains in our bell tower. It has been rung almost every day since it was first blessed.