A New Happy Home: Old St. Barnabas organ relocated to St. Simon

In June 2021, St. Barnabas’ original digital electronic organ was donated and delivered to St. Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church in Lincoln Heights, where it will support St. Simon’s

traditional and gospel choirs during Sunday services and special events.

The organ, which has been regularly maintained, had been mostly unused for the past 13 years since the installation of the current organ in 2007. The St. Barnabas Vestry voted in March to donate the surplus organ.

Members of St. Barnabas’ Termites team worked with specialized organ movers to detach and move the organ and its 12 speakers from its former location in the St. Barnabas sanctuary gallery, and helped to re-install it at St. Simon.

“This organ will pump new life into our services,” St. Simon Sr. Warden LaVerne Mitchell said. “It gives people who come to our services an ability to truly experience our vitality, and it reinforces our connection to our sister churches in the Diocese.”

St. Simon of Cyrene was founded as a Mission of the Sisters of Transfiguration in Glendale in 1931 and later established as an independent parish. The parish played a crucial role in the formation of local political leaders, as well as leaders of The Episcopal Church. Both the Rt. Rev. John Burgess, 12th Bishop of Massachusetts, and current Presiding Bishop the Most Rev. Michael Curry served St. Simon, Bishop Curry leading the parish for much of the 1980s. In the words of Sr. Warden Mitchell, “we grow them and we teach them well.”

While St. Simon is at this time holding its services via Zoom to protect the health of the

congregation, the parish intends to hold a celebration featuring the organ with both its

traditional and popular Gospel choirs this fall. St. Barnabas parishioners will be invited to join in the celebration.

UPDATE: An Organ Dedication and Recital will take place at St. Simon's (810 Matthews Drive, Lincoln Heights 45215) on November 18th at 3 p.m. with a reception following. The concert will feature Michael Chertock, Joshua Goines, and Frank Carr, as well as the Gospel Choir of St. Simon's. We will also bless and dedicate the organ and celebrate the partnership between our two churches. Please join us! R.S.V.P. to ssocecorgan@aol.com by November 11th.