By John Rohlf
The Message assistant editor
St. Benedict Cathedral music director and organist Jeremy Korba recently confirmed installation of the Gallery organ at the cathedral is “on schedule or slightly ahead.”
Korba confirmed July 15 that Parsons Pipe Builders remains on track for the installation of the Gallery organ. The first truck was unloaded July 8. Korba said they had 50-60 volunteers July 10 to help unload two trucks, allowing Parsons Pipe Builders workers to stay in the cathedral and keep building the organ.
Despite hoping to hold weekend Masses in the cathedral this weekend, the parish made an announcement at about 6:30 p.m. July 19 on their Facebook page that weekend Mass on July 20 and July 21 will be held in the Woodward Center. The post says there is not enough safe seating available in the cathedral yet due to the pipe organ installation.
Korba said as of July 15, they were thinking they would hold weekday Mass the week of July 22 in the Woodward Center to give Parsons Pipe Builders as much time as possible to keep working on building and installing the Gallery organ. The current plan is for Parsons Pipe Builders to leave July 26 if everything goes according to plan.
“They’re very pleased,” Korba said. “Everything’s looking great. They’re making good progress.”
Tonal finishers will come to the cathedral starting in August to finish preparing the organ to be played at Masses and other services. Korba said the current plan is for the organ to be ready to play at the cathedral sometime in September.
The Gallery organ, which will feature over 3,700 pipes, will be placed in the back of the cathedral. A second organ, the Nave organ, is placed in the front of the cathedral near the statue of the Blessed Mother and the cantor stand. The Nave organ, which contains eight sets of pipes for a total of 560 pipes, will be used to support smaller gatherings situated at the front of the cathedral and to accompany clergy and cantors. The Nave organ was installed the week of June 10.
The organ is a gift from a donor, who approached Benedictine Father Godfrey Mullen during the renovation of the cathedral to donate an organ to the cathedral.