Missing pipe organ

Story by Seth Terrell Photos provided

High above the rear of the sanctuary of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, a white stained-glass dove descends from a stark, blue sky, gently through a golden sunburst. When the sun pours through the stained-glass window just right, the entire choir loft glows with an ambiance at once stunning and serene.

Local parishioner Keith Ellard and organist Jannie Ratliff stand beneath the glow in a void where a stalwart of church life at Sacred Heart once stood – a mammoth pipe organ, the Austin Opus 1029. It was an instrument that served the church well for 63 years, “a faithful servant” as parishioner Barbara Ragsdale puts it.

That organ’s role ended in a puff or two of smoke.

Originally constructed in 1921 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Conn., the Opus 1029 was first purchased and used by Second Baptist Church in

Keith Ellard and organist Jannie Ratliff stand in the void in the back of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church where the organ and choir risers were located. “It never looked so big back here before,” Keith jokes. The church was already looking at replacing its grand old organ when a minor fire rendered the instrument useless. While the organ – and its 2,038 pipes in rows beneath the window and large black chambers on the upper sides – were being pulled, the church decided to refurbish the choir seats, too. Like the old one, the new organ – with 2,018 pipes –will face away from the congregation. The organist uses a mirror to monitor the sanctuary. Photo at left by David Moore.

When the organ died

Atlanta before sojourning to the Ponce DeLeon Baptist Church across the city then finding its forever home in Cullman at Sacred Heart in 1958.

Now, in its place is a temporary void, but as members of Sacred Heart will tell you, here in the emptiness is a reminder of a rich past and hopeful look to the future.

The story of the 101-year-old organ is one of serendipity and renewal. If organs could talk, Opus 1029 would tell of thousands of Mass services, and Christmas liturgies, of concerts and choir performances and other spiritual remembrances. Of a journey from the forests of New England to the hills of Alabama. Of a church and its people and the countless ways that sacred music enlivens and moves a community.

“We were reluctant to give the Austin up,” Jannie Ratliff says, standing in the vacant choir loft where she played the organ for more than a decade, along with the others who’ve put their fingers to the keys during the 63 years. “I miss it. I miss the greatness.”

She and Keith speak fondly of the organ’s history and the church’s involvement.

The history of the instrument began with still revered former choir director Dr. Max Richard, who as organist and musical director helped make Opus 1029 an awe-inspiring center of worship at Sacred Heart. Max was the one who, along with the help of Mary Ellen Schlosser and others, helped secure the funds for its purchase. And he remained the point person for many decades as the Opus occasionally underwent repairs.

Through his efforts, the great pipe organ called and inspired people to worship for decades.

Barry Stoner, the choir director today, was at the keys this past Palm Sunday, when Opus 1029 finally gave up the ghost.

He recalls playing for the eleven o’clock service when the smell of something burning began to fill the choir loft. During the Sanctus, he first thought the smell came from a candle downstairs. Then he realized it was the organ.

Barry turned it on and off and for the rest of the mass, used a minimum of combination stops. He even pulled the side

Sacred Heart parishioners and the community rally after pipe organ burns out to have a grand replacement built

panel off the organ when a puff of smoke came from it. Though the moment did not devolve into any kind of Jerry Lee Lewis experience, Barry was ready to seek out a fire extinguisher.

“I played only one verse of the last hymn,” he recalls, “and when mass was over, I immediately disconnected the power source to the organ and started looking for the source of the smoke.”

As luck, or perhaps providence would have it, representatives from the Austin Organ company, the instrument’s original makers, happened to be on hand the next day as they were already offering consultation to Sacred Heart for upcoming repairs and plans for a new organ.

When the smoke settled, the Austin representatives explained that the organ had played its final hymn and deemed it unusable.

“They told us that continual usage would increase the chance of a major fire,” Keith says.

Keith, along with fellow parishioners, put together a team to begin seeking a replacement for the organ. As chair of the fundraising committee, he knew the organ’s final chapter would actually become a new chapter for the church and the community. After securing several bids to replace the organ, he and the committee decided to stick with Austin.

“Austin has been phenomenal to work with,” he explains. “They gave us a loaner electric organ, but what is more, they’ve graciously offered their expertise and knowledge in helping us plan for what’s next.”

Prior to the fire, in September 2021 the Austin team had traveled from Connecticut to began the engineering groundwork for the planned new instrument. Now, ahead of schedule, they returned in early May to deconstruct the burned out Opus 1029 and ship the old parts back to Hartford.

There, in a workshop on Woodland Street, skilled artisans went to work designing the new organ that will fill the void the old one left. Designers and engineers hand-crafted the very keys, stops and a new arsenal of pipes that will one day sound throughout the Sacred Heart sanctuary.

Family-owned, Austin Organs has been hand-crafting organs since the turn of the previous century. Opus 1029 was one of Austin’s first line of organs commissioned, and those prototypes, with advanced improvements, are still making music from Hawaii to New York.

“Their craftsmanship is unbelievable,” Keith says, “It’s truly something to behold.”

Mike Fazio, president of Austin Organs, along with the other designers have worked closely with Sacred Heart on the new instrument that will help shape the worship experience.

They have implemented the latest technologies, such as fully solid-state control systems, data cables, transposers, piston sequencers, multiple memory levels, and MIDI compatibility, which allows for the addition of digital voices. The additional stops and electrical capabilities will allow the new organ to sound identical to the pipe organs of world-famous cathedrals, such as St. Patrick’s in Ireland or St. Peter’s in Rome.

While the new organ will bring about a one-of-a-kind auditory experience, it will also bring about a visual aesthetic, too, with new casings around the pipes to enhance the beauty of the instrument as a focal point for the church.

Though the current, electric organ has certainly helped Sacred Heart not miss a beat on Sundays, there is a palpable excitement for what is to come with the new organ.

“I’m looking forward to placing my fingers on the keyboard and my feet on the pedals,” Jannie says, her voice tinged with a certain elation. “When you hit a thirty-two foot pedal, the seat rumbles. It’s glorious.”

She smiles looking out over the church, imagining the first Sunday she’ll get to sit at the new masterpiece. “Words can’t describe it; it’s a feeling that can only be felt.”

Jannie, a self-described ‘Metholic’ (a faith blend of Methodist and Catholic), recognizes not only the thrill of playing such a magnificent instrument but also its impact beyond the church family.

“I think I’m most looking forward to celebrating with the community,” she says.

The new organ will eventually make its way from the cozy halls of New England with the target of beginning its new musical journey in Cullman by Mother’s Day 2023.

Funds have been raised for the project coming from private donors and business alike. Local restaurants – such as All-Steak, Augusta’s Sports Grill and Rumor’s Deli – have joined the effort, along with Sheriff Matt Gentry and Sen. Garlan Gudger, truly making the dream a communal one.

To date, over $800,000 has been raised to help make updates and repairs as well as bring the organ home as part of the church mission to, “Beautify the Liturgy, Elevate the Mind, Enrich the Soul.”

While the effort thus far has procured excitement and unity in the Cullman area, it is only a taste of what Sacred Heart hopes to create. Keith recalls the joint effort among Sacred Heart members of both the Englishspeaking and Spanish-speaking parishes. Nuns in the Philippines have even made special rosaries to help with the fundraising process.

Keith’s voice cracks a little thinking about the bond and joy of so many people working together.

“Sorry, I get a little emotional about it,” he says. “Seeing people get excited about being able to do this together, especially after Covid, has been a lot of fun.”

Just as Barbara Ragsdale, Mary Jo Hovater and other members faithfully

The old organ was packed with circuit boards. The burned out culprit, above, was relatively easy to spot.

At this point in the process, Austin has not started on Sacred Heart’s new organ. The old parts remain crated. Austin Organ Company President Mike Fazio says some of the salvageable parts will be repurposed. The finished instrument will look similar to this three-manual console Austin built for St. Lawrence Church in Killingworth, Conn. Below left, a craftsman works on a pipe base for a windchest. Also needed at Sacred Heart will be a blower room, like the one below. Photos provided by Austin Organs.

documented the former journeys of the 101-year-old Opus 1029, Sacred Heart now turns to what the future will hold for their church and how the new organ will anchor that vision.

The church looks forward to again hosting regional choir competitions and taking part in the chamber of commerce’s plans to hold church tours in Cullman, which will allow the new organ to inspire visitors and future generations. The hope is to also make the organ available to people in the community so that the experience can be shared with all.

Jannie admits that organists are somewhat of a dying breed, but Sacred Heart, through the generosity of its parishioners, has now set aside “scholarship” funds to sponsor young people who are interested in learning to play piano as a step toward playing the organ.

“We’re trying to make sure we have a next generation of organists,” Keith says. “We’re looking forward to using the next one for a hundred years, and we’re thrilled over what the future may hold.”

The vision that Dr. Max Richard first held when Opus 1029 came to Sacred Heart is in many ways the same vision that sustains the Sacred Heart community today. When the two-year process is complete, and the organ arrives, Barry Stoner will direct his choir once again in the swelling Sanctus, Holy, Holy, Holy. Jannie Ratliff and her organist colleagues will once again feel the seat rumble. And Keith Ellard and his fellow parishioners will humbly bask in the overwhelming emotions of a unified mission now completed.

The stained-glass dove will light gently over the loft as the array of 1,100 pipes form a lustrous nest around it. And the future of a community will be enthralled in the thrum of timelessness.