When the Archdiocese of New York launched the Restore campaign in 2012 the goal was to repair, clean and refresh the physical edifice of St. Patrick’s Cathedral after decades of deterioration and weathering. The campaign’s massive success enabled us to repair the cathedral’s body and strengthen the skin and bones of New York’s mother church for generations to come.  

We must now renew her lungs and voice so that the Cathedral–along with its parishioners and visitors–can continue to praise and worship long into the future. Every day the Cathedral comes alive with the voices of numerous musical directors, cantors, instrumentalists and singers from our own family of musicians and visiting musicians from around the world, in addition to the millions who lift up their voices from the pews each year. But the Cathedral’s own voice, its world-renowned Kilgen pipe organ, is in jeopardy of going silent after 96 years of service.  

“After nearly a century of constant work, the Kilgen is in dire need of renovation. It has a sound and an appearance that are totally singular and revered internationally. It rivals the world-famous pipe organ at Notre-Dame in Paris”, says Daniel Brondel, Associate Director of Music at St. Patrick’s since 2008. “It is a treasure worth preserving.” 

On December 19, 2024 Cardinal Dolan announced the start of Renew the Living Voices: The Kilgen Organ Campaign to renovate our beloved Kilgen Organ.  

To learn more about these efforts and how you can help, kindly contact: 

Christopher Lee, Executive Director of Advancement and Parishioner Affairs at christopherlee@saintpatrickscathedral.org or (646) 537-7829.