It's been almost one year since a longtime parishioner of Our Lady of Peace Church passed away.

She was involved in many different ways over several decades at the parish in Millcreek.

But there was one thing she hoped for, yet never got to enjoy in person.

So, her husband and son made sure it happened in her memory.

Nicholas Marinelli spent 65 years married to his wife, Gloria, and around 50 of them as parishioners at Our Lady of Peace on West 38th St.

He sits in the same pew each week.

Now, right behind him, is a part of their legacy. All thanks to Gloria's idea.

“If she was going to do something, she didn't care what it cost. She was going to do it," Marinelli said.

"It's common to have that kind of bell in Catholic churches,” said pastor Father Rich Toohey. “We didn't have one here, so typically when we come in to start a daily mass or like a 4:30 mass on Sundays, we don't have music with, we would just say 'Please stand.'"  

Gloria became fixated on bringing a bell to Erie, specifically to the church.

Not just any bell. One from the Marinelli Bell Company in Italy.

"I kind of found out from Father how long she was actually talking about it in here. Longer than 5 years ago,” Gloria’s son, Nick, said. 

Nick said the idea originally came from his son Kyle, who once did a report for school on the Italian company.

"She saved the money for a long time to pay for it, and I didn't care," Marinelli said. 

Gloria passed away last September, before the bell was installed.

"It was stressful getting it here…getting it made," Nick said.

The first bell sent was determined to be too big, then came one of the right size.

In June, it was installed in the back of the church with the help of a church maintenance worker.

It is now along a select group of Marinelli bells.

"They are very well known around the world and make approximately 50 of these a year,” Nick said.

This bell includes two peace doves for Our Lady of Peace. They adorn the bell along with the names of Gloria and her husband.

But it's not the only item that carries their name in the church. A portrait of Saint Joseph also hangs in the chapel.

It is an ode to the displays that Gloria worked so hard to put together for a parish-wide St. Joseph Day celebration every March.

“She had great devotion to he blessed mother, to Saint Joseph, to just all of the elements of our catholic tradition," Father Toohey said. 

It is a sound and fixture that took nine months to get here, but will be a part of Mass every single week to come.

Nick said that the first larger bell will go to his son Kyle, whose book report started it all. For now, it rings at masses.

After Nick files paperwork, when the bell company is searched online, Erie could very well be part of the locations listed.