When St. Paul the Apostle Church was designed in 1980, the site plan included considerations for a remote bell tower, but budget constraints precluded the tower from being constructed at that time. The congregation’s dream of a bell tower was brought back to life in 2003. Michael L. Norris & Associates, Inc. was given the responsibility of engineering the wiring, lighting, and lightning protection system for the tower. Driving design concepts was the congregation's vision of a tower that would serve as “a beacon, glowing from within.”