Holy Trinity Parish is thrilled to be participating in the 2024 #weGiveCatholic campaign! The funds raised during this year's campaign will support everyone who gathers at Holy Trinity by helping us update the organ and preserve our beautiful stained glass windows. Both the organ and the windows are original to our church, and we are committed to ensuring that they continue to be a stunning and integral part of our sacred space for years to come. Your generosity will help us protect and maintain these treasures that have been cherished by our parish community.
A Message from Helen Herbst, Music Minister
Our beautiful pipe organ turned 100 years old this year. It is not only a Liturgical treasure, supporting us in song and providing inspiration, but also a highly valuable and historic treasure. When the Church was heavily damaged in the tornado of 1924, the organ was part of the restoration.
It was built, installed, and is serviced by the Cleveland based Votteler-Holtcamp-Sparling Organ company. Other Holtcamp organs in the area include St. John’s Cathedral in Cleveland and a new hybrid organ which was just dedicated in the restored chapel of Borromeo Seminary.
Even though the organ is currently leading the congregation in song, it is in need of major repairs. The leathers and tuning tongues on the pipes are failing causing the organ to not hold a proper tuning in many of the pipes. At this point an entire rank of pipes is too badly out of tune to use. Leathers also secure the needed sealing of the bellows which control the air flow through the pipes.
The present condition of the organ has been throughly evaluated and the proposed work includes all needed repairs, cleaning, revoicing and tuning of the pipes, electrical work, and lighting. In addition, it would greatly enhance the variety of sound colors and balance the mid range volume, if we could add 6 new pipes. Currently we have mostly very soft and very loud potentials, but not many varied choices in between.
Repairs will necessitate removing all pipes and moving them to the Holtcamp facility in Cleveland for restoration. During that work period of approximately 3 months, the area that houses the pipes should be cleaned, painted, repairs done to the floor, and lighting installed.
This is a long range benefit investment. Many of the great Cathedrals of Europe have organs that are hundreds of years old.
The cost of the project is estimated to be $347,000.