GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Catholic Church announced that the church is able to embark on "another crucial piece of the ongoing restoration" as they construct a new pipe organ.
The construction of the organ is all thanks to a donation from the Secchia family.
"The organ is a gift to honor the memory of Peter F. Secchia," the church said. "Mr. Secchia was a celebrated businessman and philanthropist in Grand Rapids who served as U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino from 1989-1993."
The organ will be a new 39-rank instrument of 2,340 pipes made by Fratelli Ruffatti of Padua, Italy. The Rufattis are an organ-building firm that has installed organs across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The Secchia Organ will be specially handcrafted to match the architecture and acoustics of Sacred Heart.
Uniquely, the organ will be the only Italian-built organ in the whole state of Michigan and one of the few European ones in Grand Rapids.
The church said the organ will be the "crowning jewel" of the restoration of the church. They also expressed excitement for the cultural and musical contributions it will bring to the city.
The gift of the organ also comes as the church is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its building and as the community prepares for a year-long choral festival. The festival, Palestrina500, will begin in December of this year.
Construction of the organ began this month. The church plans to install it in the summer of 2025.
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