A Beacon of Light and a Sign of Hope
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Introduction
The St. Matthew Church organ, originally installed when the current church was constructed in 1954, has faithfully sung the praises of the Lord for over 67 years. It was built by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois, and christened "Opus 3529". It was built to the exact specifications of Fr. Joseph Fillion.
Over the past few years, the organ has been in dire need of continuous repair, until it was determined that a complete restoration was necessary. In the fall of 2021, St. Matthew began a complete restoration and upgrade of Opus 3529.
The organ was completely disassembled and removed. It was rebuilt, upgraded, and reinstalled in time for the Christmas Mass of 2021. Now, after a few months of fine tuning and adjustments, the magnificent "King of Instruments" is ready for a public dedication ceremony and concert.
Organ History
The three manual and pedal pipe organ was specially designed by the Wicks Organ Company for St. Matthew Church.
The instrument consists of 21 ranks, which include a total of 1,464 pipes.
In October of 1954, Father Fillion sent a check in the amount of $2,236.00 as a down payment on the organ. The installation was completed in September of 1955. By the end of that same month, Fr. Fillion and parishioners had the entire bill paid off!
A sum of $22,364.00 (over $195,000 in today's money!) had been exchanged for an aural beauty - the sound and support which has delighted the faithful of St. Matthew Church then and will continue to do so for generations to come.
Rededication Celebration Concert
Please join us for a community-wide rededication concert for our organ! The celebration will begin promptly at 3:00pm on Sunday, May 15th. We ask all attendees to prayerfully consider a generous donation at the free-will offering.
- Doors Open at 2:30pm
- Open to the Public
- Free Will Offering
- A Blessing of the Instrument by Fr. Duane Novelly
- Performances by Renowned Detroit-area Organists
- Church seats over 1,000 persons - easy social distancing!
Hear the Organ Play for the First Time!
The video below was taken just before the Christmas Mass of 2021, when the organ played for the first time after restoration. A special feature of the restored console is recording and playback ability. One of our organists used this tool to create this Christmas video.
Commemorative Booklet
Parishioner Sponsorships
To celebrate the restoration of Opus 3529, the St. Matthew Church Organ, we are hosting a community-wide rededication concert featuring renowned local organists. To commemorate this achievement, a special keepsake booklet is being produced that will be provided to each attendee. This booklet will detail the history of the organ, and the story of its restoration. Full of full color photos, history, the restoration journey, and documents from the Wicks Organ Company archives, it will certainly be of interest to all who attend.
To rais funds for St. Matthew Parish after a hiatus of Jazz Nite Gala events due to COVID, we are seeking parishioner sponsorships. Sponsors will be recorded and memorialized on dedicated pages in this special booklet. Thank you for your support and for helping to ensure that our organ sings the Lord’s praises for years to come!
The first 50 sponsors at the Pedal Organ and higher levels will receive a keepsake “stop” knob from the original organ! Since 1954, organists at St. Matthew have used these stop knobs to create the magnificent instrumental sounds on our King of Instruments!
This is a rare opportunity to have a unique tangible keepsake reminder of this great celebration, easily used as a keychain!
Parishioner Sponsorship Levels
Parishioner Sponsorship levels are denoted by the names given to the pipe divisions in our organ.
"Great Organ" Benefactors: Gifts of $1,000 and more
"Swell Organ" Sustainers: Gifts of $500 to $999
"Choir Organ" Major Donors: Gifts of $250 to $499
"Pedal Organ" Supporters: Gifts of $100 to $249
"Friends of the Organ" Advocates: Gifts up to $99
To ensure you are recognized in the commemorative booklet, please return the sponsorship form with payment to the St. Matthew Rectory no later than April 27!
Click here for the Parishioner Sponsorship Form for check/cash payments.
Additionally, you can make your sponsorship donation online by clicking here! If you desire to make a sponsorship in honor of or in memory of someone, please indicate that in the memo field of the online giving form.
Business Sponsorships
To celebrate the restoration of Opus 3529, the St. Matthew Church Organ, we are hosting a community-wide rededication concert featuring area-renowned organists. To commemorate this achievement, a special keepsake booklet is being produced that will be provided to each attendee. This booklet will detail the history of the organ, and the story of its restoration. Full of full color photos, history, the restoration journey, and documents from the Wicks Organ Company archives, it will certainly be of interest to all who attend!
Due to COVID-19, St. Matthew has been unable to host its annual Dinner Dance Gala. We are reaching out to you today to seek sponsorships in our commemorative booklet for this event. Your support will ensure that St. Matthew can remain a Beacon of Light and a Sign of Hope on Detroit’s far-east side for years to come. Our community outreach is valuable to our immediate community.
The St. Matthew Church parish is made up of a unique and diverse group of dedicated people, with non-traditional residential boundaries as far north as New Baltimore and as far west as Franklin and Farmington Hills. Simply put, the reach of our parish base extends far beyond traditional parish boundaries which makes for great exposure for your business! This booklet will be a keepsake reminder of this event with a long shelf life. This event is open to the public and will be shared across the entire Archdiocese of Detroit.
The final product will be professionally printed in full color on high quality glossy paper and saddle-stitched into a 8.5” x 5.5”booklet. We can create your ad for you or you can submit camera ready artwork to us directly at admin@stmatthewdetroit.com.
Business Sponsorship Levels
Key Business Sponsorships
Only two key sponsorships available. These sponsorships include:
- a premium placement full page ad,
- a keepsake “stop knob” from the original organ, prior to restoration
- recognition on dedicated signage at the event,
- special announcement recognition at the event by Fr. Duane Novelly,
- two consecutive week recognition in the St. Matthew Pulse Bulletin,
- complimentary advertising on our website for one year, and
- recognition on our social media channels, including our weekly “Sponsor of the Week”!
| Sponsorship Level | Ad Dimensions | Cost |
|
"Gold" Sponsor |
8.5" H x 5.5" W | $500 |
| "Silver" Sponsor Inside Back Cover |
8.5" H x 5.5" W | $400 |
Traditional Business Sponsorships
All sponsorships include complimentary advertising on our website for one year!
| Ad Size | Ad Dimensions | Cost |
|
Full Page |
8.5" H x 5.5" W | $300 |
| Half Page | 4.25" H x 5.5" W | $175 |
| Quarter Page | 4.25" H x 2.75" W | $75 |
All reservations, payment and materials due by April 27!
Click here for the Business Sponsorship Form.
Restoration Story
Coming soon!
Restoration Photo Gallery
Coming soon!