Shipping the world’s largest swinging bell

This comprehensive logistics project involved close cooperation with local and international partners, showcasing cargo-partner’s expertise in handling large-scale operations. The sheer size of the record-breaking bell and the complexity of its route required meticulous planning and coordination. But before Vox Patris – Latin for “Voice of the Father” – began its 10,000-kilometer journey from southern Poland, let’s take a look back.

The largest bell for the largest church

Planning for the bell project began in 2013 with Jan Felczyński Bell Foundry and Rduch Bells & Clocks. It culminated in the casting of the 55-ton Vox Patris on August 1, 2017, in the workshops of the Metalodlew foundry in Kraków. Thanks to its industrial steel production, the foundry had sufficient capacity to melt the massive amount of metal.

The bell was produced especially for the Basilica of the Divine Eternal Father in the state of Goiás, Brazil. This Catholic Church and sanctuary, located in the city of Trindade, is not only a major pilgrimage site but also the only basilica in the world dedicated to the Divine Eternal Father. The first simple chapel was built around 1848 and covered with leaves. Since then, it has been continuously expanded and even rebuilt. A new cathedral is currently under construction to accommodate 12,000 worshippers, which will make it the largest church in the world. Already, more than four million pilgrims visit the site each year.

From scorching forges to heavenly tolling

Needless to say, the world’s largest church required the production of the world’s largest swinging bell. Several years of preliminary planning, calculations, engineering work, and even setbacks passed before the giant bell was completed. The biggest setback came with the first failed casting in November 2016, when the shell cracked slightly during the process and the metal leaked out. For the casting itself, 60 tons of bronze were melted in four furnaces and the process itself took 12 minutes to cast the entire molten metal. No wonder, the cooling off required three months of waiting.

Vox Patris weighs an impressive 55 tons, equivalent to ten African elephants, and stands four meters tall, roughly the height of a giraffe, with a diameter of 4.5 meters. The bell is five times heavier than Poland’s most famous bell, the Sigismund bell at Cracow’s Wawel Cathedral. Made from a copper-tin alloy, this engineering masterpiece is designed for both acoustic brilliance and striking visual impact.

The bell goes on a monumental pilgrimage

The 10,000-kilometer journey of Vox Patris began in southern Poland, where it was carefully packed and prepared for transport. Moving a cargo of this size and significance requires a high level of precision to synchronize every step of the process. Rising to this challenge, cargo-partner’s Gdynia branch ensured that the bell was securely prepared for both land and sea transport, with special attention given to securing the oversized load.

The bell was lifted onto a truck by crane and transported to a warehouse near the Baltic Hub terminal in Gdańsk. From there, Vox Patris, along with two smaller bells and construction components, was prepared for sea transport to Brazil as oversized, out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo. The bell was loaded directly from the truck onto the vessel and secured below deck across three flat racks, with special measures taken maintain stability during the journey. The smaller bells and additional items were transported in one flat-rack and two open-top containers. The flat-rack container carried cargo extending beyond its width and height, while both open-top containers held over-height (OH) cargo. Each container had a gross weight of approximately 20 to 22 tons.

The final leg was one big celebration

The shipment departed from Poland on April 10 and arrived at the Port of Santos on May 17, 2025. After unloading and transfer onto a truck, Vox Patris began its final 1,600-kilometer journey to Trindade, in central Brazil. But not without a special farewell: A thanksgiving Mass was held at Santos Cathedral to mark the departure of the special cargo.

The bell then undertook a pilgrimage-style overland journey through cities such as Belo Horizonte, Brasília, and Goiânia, traveling in a specially adapted truck and accompanied by technical and security teams. Upon arrival at its destination, Vox Patris found its place 30 meters above the ground in the sanctuary’s 100-meter-high bell tower.

Finally, Vox Patris tolled for the first time in Trindade on June 26, 2025, during the opening of the “Festa do Divino Pai Eterno”. A truly monumental celebration!