OPUS 1574 - St Vitus Church, Cleveland OH

We started with the St. Vitus organ restoration in 2008 with a new blower room installation (AR1046, AR1048).

The following year we continued with the console and the rest of the instrument, adding new pistons, controls and a state of the art electronic switching system (#2099).

The instrument was originally installed by the Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling Organ Co. in 1932.

A simplified version of the stenciling was used in the restoration of the facade.

People piping in to help

Published: Friday, July 17, 2009 in the Northern Ohio News-Herald

The Holtkamp organ  has been the musical centerpiece of St. Vitus Church since 1932.

And now suburbanites from Lake County are lending their expertise to the Cleveland church to not only restore the 2,000-pipe organ but also to ensure the Roman Catholic church's vitality.

"You can talk about your church in the city, but you really should do something for churches in the city," said Wickliffe resident Stan Kuhar, the parish finance director. "People should understand to give to their church, not just receive."Kuhar has tackled several improvement projects over the past few years, and he now is working as chairman of the committee to restore the 77-year-old organ, at a cost of $285,000.

Proceeds from the St. Vitus Parish Picnic, Sunday at the Slovenska Pristava recreation center in Harpersfield Township, will benefit the restoration, and an anonymous donor has pledged to match each $1 up to $100,000 for the organ repairs and new motors, that are being made by the Holtkamp Organ Co. of Cleveland. The 77-year-old instrument was constructed at a cost of $11,000.

Kuhar, 55, said St. Vitus started planning for its future 20 years ago before the recent plan by the Cleveland Catholic Diocese to consolidate churches.

"We were mindful to stay true to the mission of our parish, and to contribute to the neighborhood," he said. "We started from scratch to establish an endowment fund, something new for us. I was a trustee on the committee, and we could not have done it without the help of Tom Lobe (an attorney who lives in Willoughby Hills).

"We also made plans to build St. Vitus Village, an independent living facility for seniors," Kuhar added. "We acquired parcels of land across the street from the church, which involved demolition and asbestos issues. Paul Kosir (project manager and Kirtland resident) was a major help to see the village through to construction."

The village was an investment of $6.5 million.

The Rev. Joseph Boznar, pastor of St. Vitus, credits the parishioners' assistance with keeping the church open.

"The success of restoration of our church pipe organ relates directly to the support of the project by St. Vitus Pastoral and Finance councils, including the ad hoc committee under the direction of the parish finance director Stan Kuhar," he said.

"On the financial side of things, I give full credit to unbelievable support of St. Vitus parishioners and friends of the parish."

St. Vitus is part of a cluster with St. Paul's Croatian Catholic Church and Immaculate Conception. There are 875 families that belong to the church located at East 62nd Street and Lausche Avenue, many of whom live in the suburbs.

Blowerroom.pdf

St Vitus Church website