New Organ Appeal

The organ in the Shrine Church was installed in 1998, replacing a small (far too small!) pipe organ with five speaking stops. There was, in those days, a single microphone hanging in front of the pipes to convey the sound to the Shrine Grounds. It was enlarged and improved in 2004 and 2006 and has served us well.
The systems and sound quality for digital organs have now, of course, vastly improved, and our organ has developed a number of problems in recent years which are very difficult to repair. The organ is nearly thirty years old, which is what one might expect its reliable service life to be. Beside the problems occurring because of its age, which will become ever more difficult to rectify, the organ periodically switches off mid-service which comes as lovely surprise! This problem has been impossible to identify by the specialists, and will almost certainly continue at unpredictable intervals.

It is therefore vitally important that the organ is replaced. We need an organ with excellent sound quality which is suitable for the range of liturgies celebrated every day in the Shrine and is powerful enough for the Processions and larger Masses at the Altar of Light.

The total estimate for building the new organ is £55,000 and it will not be an easy job to install as the Guardians’ Stalls are in the way! We have at the moment £30,000 in the organ fund. That means that we shall need to raise approximately another £25,000 to complete the work. This is essential for maintaining daily the life of the Shrine.
So we need your help. Any donation, large or small will be very much appreciated to help us achieve our goal.

If you are able to donate please use the online donation form below or if you can also make a payment over the phone or by cheque by phoning the Membership department on 01328 820582