The Wacek Memorial Organ
A Grand Organ for St. Turibius Chapel

By Dr. James A. Yeager

As a culmination of years of efforts, the Pontifical College Josephinum is proud to announce the purchase of a proper liturgical organ for St. Turibius Chapel!

The organ was built by the Rudolf Von Beckerath Pipe Organ Company of Hamburg, Germany in 2003 for Stephen Ketterer of Washington, CN. The Josephinum purchased the organ from Mr. Ketterer on February 2, 2008, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The organ is funded from a generous major gift from the Wacek family of Marysville, KS, combined with the donations to the St. Turibius Organ Fund over the years. 

The organ is a world-class instrument built by one of the most highly respected organ firms of Europe. It is a custom built instrument with three keyboards and pedals. There are 31 stops to create wonderful diversity of tone colors. Its 2332 pipes range in size from 16 feet at the tallest to less than an inch.

An organ of this size offers great flexibility from the whisper of quiet stops to the full majesty of many stops. The tonal architecture includes organ traditions of Germany, France, England, and Italy. Consequently, the organ can serve liturgical music from a broad array of organ and sacred music repertoire. It is a unique thing for one organ to be so versatile. The Wacek Memorial Organ is beautifully suited to the Roman Catholic tradition of sacred music.

The organ will stand tall in the center of the St. Turibius organ loft rising 21 feet high. Its casework is made of white oak which is very harmonious looking with the existing organ loft woodwork. The façade pipes are of burnished tin and gold leaf decorations create a visual richness and symmetry to resonate well with the neo-gothic chapel.

The organ will be moved from Connecticut to Ohio in late March and fully re-assembled by the Bedient Organ Company of Lincoln Nebraska (with the help of many Josephinum volunteers) by the middle of April. The magnificent splendor of the grand organ will at last sound its voice in praise of God and in service to our sacred liturgy. A series of dedicatory programs and organ recitals will be forthcoming in the next year.

Photos of the organ are worth more than a thousand words; to hear the organ in person speaks volumes more. Soli Deo Gloria!

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