Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church - Forest Hills (Queens), NY
 
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Our Lady of Mercy Church
(Roman Catholic)

70-01 Kessel Street
Forest Hills, Queens, N.Y. 11375
http://www.mercyhills.org



Organ Specifications:
► III/13 Rodgers Instruments (2005)
► II/12 W.W. Kimball Co., KPO 7222 (1937)








Our Lady of Mercy Church was established in 1927, as the Chapel of the Little Flower (located at Continental Avenue and Kessel Street), a mission church of nearby Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church. From 1927 to 1930, the Chapel of the Little Flower was served by clergy from Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish. On Christmas Day 1929, a new wing of the Chapel was opened to accommodate the increasing number of parishioners, and on October 6, 1930, the Chapel of the Little Flower was rededicated under the title of Our Lady of Mercy Parish. Plans soon began for a larger church building to meet the needs of the growing congregation. On September 26, 1937, Archbishop Thomas E. Molloy, Bishop of Brooklyn, dedicated the present church building of Our Lady of Mercy.

In honor of the church building's 50th Anniversary, it was refurbished to its present liturgical setting in 1987 and rededicated by Bishop Francis J. Mugavero, Bishop of Brooklyn, on January 31, 1988.
           
  Rodgers Organ (2005) at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church - Forest Hills (Queens), NY
Rodgers Instruments LLC
Hillsboro, Ore. (2005)
Model Trillium 967
Digital tone generation
3 manuals, 71 stops, 13 pipe ranks, 788 pipes






As part of the church's 75th Anniversary Capital Campaign, the original 1937 Kimball organ was renovated. Rodgers Instruments LLC of Hillsboro, Ore., incorporated nine pipe ranks of the Kimball organ plus a new 4-rank Mixture with a digital instrument. The resulting "hybrid" or "combo" organ was installed in 2005.

Mark Austin was responsible for the Rodgers tonal design and John Nettleton was responsible for the visual design. The Kimball chests and reservoirs were completely restored by Mann & Trupiano of Brooklyn, who also provided the new cases and facade pipes to the Nettleton conceptual drawings. All of the Kimball organ parts and pipes which were incorporated retain their Kimball personality.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
   Montre  
2
   Flautino *
61
8
   Open Diapason *
61
1 3/5
   Terz  
8
   Geigen Principal *
61
     Mixture IV ranks (new pipes)
244
8
   Melodia *
61
     Scharf IV ranks  
8
   Gedeckt *
61
16
   Posaune  
8
   Dulciana *
61
8
   Trompete  
4
   Octave *
61
     Chimes  
4
   Harmonic Flute *
61
     Zimbelstern  
2 2/3
   Quinte       Tremulant  
2
   Super Octave        
 
      
 
      
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, expressive
16
   Bourdon Doux  
2
   Flute a Bec  
8
   Geigen Principal  
1 3/5
   Tierce  
8
   Bourdon       Plein Jeu IV ranks  
8
   Viole de Gamba  
16
   Contre Trompette  
8
   Gambe Celeste  
8
   Trompette  
8
   Flute Celeste  
8
   Hautbois  
4
   Prestant  
8
   Voix Humaine  
4
   Flauto Traverso  
4
   Clairon  
2 2/3
   Nazard       Tremulant  
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, expressive
16
   Quintade  
1 1/3
   Larigot  
8
   Spitz Geigen  
1
   Siffloete  
8
   Holzgedackt       Mixture IV ranks  
8
   Erzaehler Celeste II ranks  
16
   Dulzian  
8
   Viola Celeste II ranks  
8
   Trompette Harmonique  
4
   Prinzipal  
8
   Cromorne  
4
   Koppelfloete  
8
   Festival Trumpet  
2
   Oktav       Harp  
2
   Zauberfloete       Tremulant  
               
Solo Organ (floating) – 61 notes, expressive
8
   Violoncello Celeste II  
8
   English Horn  
8
   Flauto Mirabilis       Tremulant  
4
   Harmonic Flute       Solo on II  
8
   French Horn       Solo on I  
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
   Contre Violone  
4
   Nachthorn  
32
   Contre Bourdon       Mixture IV ranks  
16
   Principal  
32
   Contre Bombarde  
16
   Bourdon [unit] *
44
16
   Bombarde  
16
   Violone  
16
   Basson  
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt [ext. GT] *
12
8
   Trompette  
8
   Octave  
4
   Clarion  
8
   Bourdon *
—
4
   Rohrschalmei  
4
   Choralbass          
       
* retained from W.W. Kimball Organ, KPO 7222 (1937)
           
W. W. Kimball Company
Chicago, Illinois – KPO 7222 (1937)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 15 stops, 12 ranks


The original organ in Our Lady of Mercy Church was built by the W.W. Kimball Company of Chicago. This modest two-manual instrument was intended to be temporary until a large permanent pipe organ could be built for the large rear gallery. However, due to financial constraints caused by the Depression and World War II, the Kimball became permanent. As first installed in the base of the church tower, the organ was subjected to harsh changes in weather and bird droppings over the decades. It was fairly well-maintained, but became increasingly expensive as decay began to outrun its service. Finally, the Kimball ranks were removed from the tower and installed in twin cases at the rear of the gallery. An amusing note: this Kimball may have had the only console with dual rear-view mirrors: on the right side was a mirror from a 1956 Chevy Bel Air, and on the left ("driver's side") was attached a mirror from a 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook.

Some pipes of this organ were refurbished and incorporated into a three-manual Rodgers TM958 electronic/pipe combination instrument that was dedicated in 2005. The original Kimball console was discarded.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Open Diapason
73
4
   Octave
73
8
   Dulciana
73
     Tremolo  
8
   Melodia
73
        
 
      
 
      
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Geigen Principal
73
4
   Traverse Flute
73
8
   Gedeckt
73
2
   Flageolet
61
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   Voix Celeste
73
     Tremolo  
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Bourdon [unit, enc. with GT]
44
8
   Flute
—
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt [ext. SW]
12
8
   Still Gedeckt
SW
               
Chimes (controlled by tablets)
    On       Church  
    Forte       Tower  
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'   Great 16', Unison Off, 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell 16', Unison Off, 4'
   
Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'
    
               
Adjustable Combinations
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 affecting Great and Pedal stops
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 affecting Swell and Pedal stops
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Great Pedal   Sforzando Pedal & Indicator
    Balanced Swell Pedal    
    Crescendo Pedal & Indicator    
           
Sources:
     Dedication program with specifications of Rodgers Instruments organ (2005). Courtesy Jennifer Pascual.
     Our Lady of Mercy Church web site: http://www.mercyhills.org
     Trupiano, Larry. Electronic correspondence (May 10, 2012) regarding pipes and chests of Rodgers combo organ.
     Trupiano, Larry. Specifications of W. W. Kimball Organ, KPO 7222 (1937).

Illustrations:
     Our Lady of Mercy Church web site.