St. Robert Parish to dedicate new pipe organ

October 12, 2017


THE NEW REUTER PIPE ORGAN AT ST. ROBERT CHURCH WILL BE DEDICATED NOV. 5 AT 3 P.M. WITH A BLESSING BY BISHOP WILLIAM J. JUSTICE AND A RECITAL BY JAMES WELCH, ORGANIST OF SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY. (COURTESY PHOTO)

St. Robert Parish in San Bruno will dedicate its new Reuter pipe organ on Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. Bishop William J. Justice will bless the organ and James Welch, organist of Santa Clara University, will play the dedicatory recital. An anonymous donor paid the entire cost of the new instrument now called The Doris Elmore Memorial Organ.

The new organ was built for St. Joseph Church in New York City by Reuter in 1997. In 2016 it was purchased by St. Robert and rebuilt and enlarged again by Reuter. The organ has 26 ranks of pipes.

St. Robert pastor Father John Greene has played the organ most of his life, including 12 years in seminary. He has assisted in placing new organs at parishes including St. Gabriel, Church of the Epiphany, St. Stephen and St. Monica, where as pastor he oversaw the rebuilding of the organ.

Kevin Imbimbo has been organist and music director at St. Robert for more than 20 years. He, like Father Greene is “very happy” with the new organ, Father Greene said.

St. Robert donated its electronic organ to St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in San Francisco.