Prague cathedral inaugurates new organ in rare ‘awakening’ ceremony

On the feast of St. Vitus, the new organ in the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert in Prague was inaugurated. The instrument, whose construction had been started by the former archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Dominik Duka, was blessed by his successor and now-Archbishop Emeritus Jan Graubner on Monday, June 15.

“Remember all those who have built and protected this temple for centuries, also the generous patrons of this instrument, and especially those who did not live to see its completion and todayʼs blessing,” Graubner said during the blessing.

He asked the Lord to accept this work of the patrons and benefactors and “to give them a share in the heavenly harmony that never ceases.”

The ceremony, which featured the Czech Philharmonic, was broadcast live by Czech public television.

‘Awakening’ the organ

The current archbishop of Prague, Stanislav Přibyl, who is himself an organist, presided over a Mass on the occasion. In his homily, the chief pastor of the capital city of the Czech Republic said the organ does not exist independently of the space around it. It becomes part of it, as “it is not just the organ playing, but the entire cathedral, literally every stone playing,” he stressed.

He also performed the ceremony of “awakening the organ,” addressing the instrument and asking it, literally, to “wake up” and fill the space with music. The organist responded by playing the wind instrument.

“It is the moment when the instrument sounds praise to God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The organ can rejoice, cry, calm down, and stir our hearts, express the emotions that are within us,” Přibyl underscored.

This awakening, in which one can behold and listen to beauty and experience spiritual reality, is a dialogue, according to the prelate: “First, a word is spoken, a challenge, and the response is music. It is a beautiful picture of the relationship between God and man.” When God speaks, it evokes a reaction in man, be it a word, silence, tears, laughter, and so on.

Music and singing transcend the boundaries of words, and “our new instrument will also serve this purpose: liturgy, prayer, the uplifting and joy of the human spirit,” Přibyl concluded.

Years in the making

The organ has undergone a few restoration works over the last 100 years, yet they did not bring the desired results. In 2012, Duka brought up the idea and won the support of high-ranking public figures to assume the patronage of the public collection. Approximately 12,000 people have contributed 135 million Czech crowns so far toward the final cost of roughly 160 million.

The new instrument was completed by the German organ builder Gerhard Grenzing and designed by Slovak designer Peter Olah, who also designs within the once-Czech automobile brand Škoda, now part of Volkswagen.

The organ weighs 45 tons and has about 6,000 pipes. The cathedral will host an organ concert in the coming days, and the instrument will be played during liturgy.

The first stone of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert was laid in the 14th century, though the first church at the same place stood in the 10th century. The coronation of the Czech kings took place within the church, which is one of the most important in the Czech Republic.