Music

Saint Paul of the Cross Parish is blessed with a number of wonderful instruments to complement the music at each liturgy. Saint Anne features a newly renovated Luley Organ, while Saint Winifred features a Casavant Frères Pipe Organ.

Much of the pipework on the Luley pipe organ at St. Anne’s was originally used in an organ built over 100 years ago for the Cathedral of St. Paul in Oakland. The highly respected W.W. Kimball Organ Company of Chicago built the pipe organ for the Cathedral in 1906, where it served worshippers for more than a half century.

In 1962 the Cathedral installed a new organ and the pipework was removed and installed at Saint Anne by the Tellers Organ Company of Erie, along with a new console, mechanical components, and a few pipe additions. The Tellers Organ was 40 ranks.

As yet another half century has passed, the organ began to show its age in dramatic fashion. The Luley Organ Company was contracted to renovate the organ. This three phase process began with the installation of a new console in early 2020, and renovation of the new 42 rank instrument concluded with the installation of the Choir Division, Pedal Reed, and Tuba in September 2023. The renovation included: a new solid state console, new windchests, some tonal changes, and complete tonal finishing of the entire instrument.

The organ at Saint Winifred Church was built by well-known French-Canadian organ builder Casavant Frères, and installed when the church was constructed in 1963. Casavant Frères was a popular builder in the diocese at the time, constructing organs for both Saint Bernard Church in Mount Lebanon, and Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Beaufitul River as well within a five year time period.

The organ console was originially housed along with the pipework in a choir loft above the altar. The organ console then moved to its current location in the current choir area in the early 2000's.