The Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State hosts one of the most vibrant ministries we have interacted with in our company's long history. We initially were brought in to examine the possibility of bringing in a small instrument to serve the worship space but after many discussions with the Pastor, Father Rob Clements, we endeavored to find him an organ that would match up to the ministry it would serve.  

In 2024, we saw an opportunity to purchase EM Skinner Opus 546 originally built for St. James Lutheran Church in Reading PA, knowing the basis of this organs pipework would match well with the acoustical footprint at ASU.  Acquiring the pipework allowed significant financial savings and offered a piece of true organ Americana that would be aptly balanced in the acoustics of the space.  My grandfather, John Peragallo Sr. worked for Ernest Skinner upon his arrival in this country from Genoa, Italy.  Many of his original organs are founded in the Skinner tradition of fine orchestral tone, one that we promote within our designs to this day.  This instrument serves to connect those ideologies of the past and appropriately at a University Catholic center allowing that to inform the future ears who will witness this organs tone. 

The finished instrument includes some 37 ranks of pipes on a completely new chassis.  The organ switching, wind, and valve opening systems are all new.  The caseworks and facade are all custom designed and fabricated to match the architecture. The pipes are located within a gorgeous hand-crafted casework designed to enhance the architectural style and gather and project the tone of the instrument directly down the nave of the church. 

The new instrument is capable of accommodating all the musical needs of the worshipping congregation and serve as the cornerstone of the many various setups of the student and professional music ministries.

This organ bridges the student and liturgical environments by also serving the Organ School at the University under the direction of Dr. Kimberly Marshal as a teaching tool. 

As the Catholic faith believes, heaven meets earth in the liturgies in the chapel at ASU.  We have been blessed to know and live within the life of this place as we built and installed this organ.  We look forward seeing this instrument echo its tones throughout this sanctuary for decades to come.