Regina Pacis Votive Shrine - Brooklyn, NY
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Church of St. Rosalia – Regina Pacis
(Roman Catholic)

1230 65th Street at 12th Avenue
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11219
http://www.reginaparish.org


Organ Specifications:
Regina Pacis Shrine: 1230 65th Street at 12th Avenue (since 1951)
► IV/57 Skinner Organ Company, Op. 739 (1928); inst. 1972
• III/ Jimmy Rockefeller (<1930s); inst. 1951
St. Theresa's Chapel (School)
• II/4 Geo. Kilgen & Son (1929)
St. Rosalia Church: 63rd Street corner 14th Avenue (since 1905)
► II/13 Gilbert F. Adams (1971)
• II/ Baldwin Organ Company electronic (1950s)
• II/ Unknown builder (1910)
• III/ Geo. Kilgen & Son, Op. 4276 (1929) – Lower Church
• II/ Estey Organ Company (second hand) – Lower Church
62nd Street near Thirteenth Avenue (1901-1905)
• unknown


St. Roslia Catholic Church - Brooklyn, NY  
St. Rosalia Church  
The Roman Catholic parish of St. Rosalia (Chiesa Cattolica Italiana Romana di St. Rosalia) was founded in 1902 by Rev. P. Sapienza to serve Italian Catholics in the Borough Park area of South Brooklyn. In the early years, Masses were held in a converted three-story clapboard house on 62nd Street near 13th Avenue. Later, a permanent church was built on the corner of 63rd Street and 14th Avenue. This building, shown in the photo at left, survives today.

On the second Sunday In May, 1942, the parish vowed to build a votive shrine to Regina Pacis (Our Lady, Queen of Peace), the patroness of Palermo, for the victory of the U.S. armed forces in World War II. Under the leadership of Msgr. Angelo R. Cioffi, funds were raised throughout the war years, and the cornerstone was laid on October 29, 1949. The new shrine, designed by Anthony J. DePace, was dedicated on August 15, 1951.
               
Skinner Organ Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 739 (1928)
Moved and revised by Gilbert F. Adams Organ Builders, Inc. (1972)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 53 registers, 43 stops, 51 ranks


The organ in St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis Church was built in 1928 by the Skinner Organ Company as Opus 739 for the South Congregational Church of New Britain, Conn. This organ was originally scaled and finished by G. Donald Harrison of the Skinner Company. In 1972, South Congregational Church purchased a large new Gress-Miles organ, and the Skinner organ was acquired by St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis parish. Gilbert F. Adams of New York City was commissioned to move the organ to the Regina Pacis Shrine. Due to limited space, Adams disposed of the original Choir chest, and placed selected stops from the Choir and Echo/Solo divisions on a Hutchings duplex chest. The reworked enclosed division was relabeled Positiv. Adams installed the Great division on an elevated steel trestle that was erected between the two side chambers. The Great was left essentially as original; however, the Harmonics mixture was repitched to 19.22.26; and the 8' Principal Flute (damaged in transit) was replaced by the Swell 8' Gedackt from the Midmer-Losh organ originally built for St. Monica's R.C. Church, Jamaica, Queens, that was moved in 1971 to St. Pius V R.C. Church, Jamaica, but never installed and subsequently destroyed except for the Gedackt.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes (7½" wind)
16
   Double Diapason
61
2 2/3
   Twelfth
61
8
   First Diapason
61
2
   Fifteenth
61
8
   Second Diapason
61
     Harmonics III ranks
183
8
   Gedackt [rep. Principal Flute]
61
8
   Tromba
61
8
   Erzähler
61
4
   Clarion
61
4
   Octave
61
    
Chimes [in Positiv box]
25 tubes
4
   Flute Harmonique
61
    
 
      
 
      
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed (7½" wind)
16
   Contra Gamba
73
2
   Flautino
61
8
   Diapason
73
     Chorus Mixture V ranks
305
8
   Rohrflöte
73
16
   Waldhorn
73
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Cornopean
73
8
   Voix Celeste
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   Flauto Dolce
73
8
   Vox Humana
73
8
   Flute Celeste (TC)
61
4
   Clarion
73
4
   Octave
73
     Tremolo  
4
   Flute Triangulaire
73
8
  
Harp (TC)
PO
 
      
 
      
Positiv Organ (Manuals I and IV) – 61 notes, enclosed (7½" wind)
16
   Bourdon *
61
1 3/5
   Tierce **
61
8
   Diapason *
61
1 1/3
   Larigot *
61
8
   Gedeckt *
61
  Cymbel III ranks #
183
4
   Octave **
61
8
   Tuba [hooded; 12" wind]
61
4
   Rohrflöte **
61
  Tremolo
2 2/3
   Nazard **
61
4
  
Celesta
61 bars
2
   Octave *
61
 
* original to Echo/Solo
2
   Blockflöte **
61
 
** original to Choir
 
      
# from Choir Room organ, Grace Church, Utica, N.Y.
Pedal Organ – 32 notes (6" wind)
32
   Resultant
—
8
   Flute (fr. Bourdon)
—
16
   First Diapason
44
8
   Cello
SW
16
   Second Diapason
GT
8
   Solo Gedeckt
PO
16
   Bourdon
44
16
   Trombone
44
16
   Gamba
SW
16
   Waldhorn
SW
16
   Solo Bourdon
PO
8
   Tromba (fr. Trombone)
—
8
   Octave (fr. 1st Diap.)
—
     Chimes  
               
Couplers
    Swell to Pedal 8, 4   Echo to Swell 16, 8, 4
    Positiv to Pedal   Swell to Positiv 16, 4
    Great to Pedal   Great to Solo
    Solo to Pedal 8, 4   Swell to Swell 16, 4
    Echo to Pedal   Positiv to Positiv 16, 4
    Swell to Great 16, 8, 4   Solo to Solo 16, 4
    Positiv to Great 16, 8, 4   Echo Unison On/Off (PO keycheek)
    Solo to Great 16, 8, 4   Positiv Unison On/Off (PO keycheek)
    Echo to Great 16, 8, 4   All Swells to Swell (GT keycheek)
               
Adjustable Combinations
   
Solo Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5
Swell Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6
Positiv Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5
Echo Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5
Generals Pistons 1-2-3-4-5
               
Mechanicals
    Balanced Pedal - Swell   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Balanced Pedal - Choir   Sforzando
    Balanced Pedal - Positiv   General Cancel
    Crescendo Pedal    
               
Organ installed in Regina Pacis Votive Shrine:

Jimmy Rockefeller
New York
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 5 divisions


The original organ in the Regina Pacis Votive Shrine was a theatre-style organ built by Jimmy Rockefeller. A three-manual "churchy" console with colored tabs controlled the Solo, Great, Orchestral and Pedal divisions in the gallery, plus an Echo division above the high altar. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
               
Organ installed in St. Rosalia Church on 14th Avenue and 63rd Street:

Gilbert F. Adams Organ Builders Inc.
New York City (1971)
Mechanical key and stop action
2 manuals, 10 stops, 13 ranks


This organ was originally a two-manual instrument with 9 stops built ca.1895 by L.C. Harrison as Op. 1362 for the Park Presbyterian Church of Bloomfield, N.J. The organ was relocated by the Organ Clearing House and rebuilt in 1971 by Gilbert F. Adams of New York City.
               
Organo Grando (Manual I)
8
   Principale  
2
   Decimaquinta  
8
   Flautona Fuso       Ripieno di IV  
4
   Ottava          
 
      
 
      
Organo Piccolo (Manual II)
8
   Flautone  
2
   Flautino  
8
   Flautone Bassi  
8
   Oboe Francese  
4
   Flauto Ottava       Tremulo  
 
      
 
      
Pedale
16
   Contrabassi          
               
Couplers
    Org. Piccolo e Contrabassi (Manual II to Pedal)
    Org. Grande e Contrabassi (Manual I to Pedal)
    Org. Piccolo e Org. Grande (Manual II to Manual I)
    Terza Mano (Octave Coupler)
               
Organ installed in St. Rosalia Church on 14th Avenue and 63rd Street:

Unknown Builder
(1910)
Mechanical action
2 manuals


The first pipe organ in St. Rosalia Church was installed in 1910, replacing a reed organ. It is not known who built the two-manual mechanical-action instrument. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

This organ was replaced in the 1950s by a Baldwin Organ Company electric instrument.
               
Organ installed in Lower Church of St. Rosalia Church on 14th Avenue and 63rd Street::

Estey Organ Company
Brattleboro, Vt. (1912); reb. by Geo. Kilgen & Son (c.1927)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals


The first pipe organ in the Lower Church was built by the Estey Organ Company, replacing an Estey reed organ. This organ was rebuilt (ca.1927) as a three-manual organ by Geo. Kilgen & Son. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
               
Organ installed in St. Theresa's Chapel on 14th Avenue and 63rd Street:

George Kilgen & Son
St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 4276 (1929)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 4 ranks


A two-manual organ for St. Theresa's Chapel in the school building was built in 1929 by George Kilgen & Son. The stock model organ had four ranks (diapason, flute, string and Bourdon) but no couplers. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
               
Sources:
     The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X, Vol. III. New York: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914.
     Grillo, Joseph. Telephone interview regarding organs while he was director of music.
     Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List (New Revised Edition). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     Organ Historical Society Convention Booklet (1973). Specification of Gilbert F. Adams Organ (1972). Courtesy Jim Stettner.
     St. Rosalia–Regina Pacis website: http://www.reginaparish.org
     Trupiano, Larry. Corrected specification of Skinner organ as revised by Gilbert F. Adams (1972).

Illustration:
     Undated postcard of Regina Pacis Votive Shrine.