Organ transplant complete

Milford – Pastor Fr. Bill McGinty leads members of the congregation Monday as they carry pieces of the newly arrived Schantz pipe organ into the sanctuary at the Church of the Good Shepherd and St. John the Evangelist in Milford. The congregation has been waiting for the delivery of the $306,000 instrument from the Ohio factory since the order was finalized in September 2005. Fundraising activities for the “Milford Musical Legacy” have been ongoing ever since to cover $150,000 in costs not covered by a $200,000 loan the church then completed. The Good Shepherd has been without a permanent organ since the old one, which McGinty termed as “old Frankenstein,” failed in 2004 and was dismantled. The new organ, when installed will have 25 ranks and 1,600 pipes and was designed for the building’s acoustics. It will be capable of performing a complete concert repertoire, McGinty said. The new organ’s baptismal concert has already been scheduled for June 16. See www.GoodShepherdMilford.org for updates.