Join Us!
Our First Official Organ Concert!
Join us for the first official organ concert on our Wilhelm organ this coming Sunday at St. Francis de Sales Oratory!
The Concert begins at 2:00pm and is free of charge. Be sure to invite friends and family who love organ music!
Described as "flashy" and "exciting" (The American Organist), concert organist Michael Hey has been increasingly visible on U.S. and international concert stages. Michael has performed solo organ recitals at Lincoln Center (New York), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.) and Davies Hall (San Francisco). He graduated in 2014 from The Juilliard School where he received both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in organ performance under Paul Jacobs. Within one year of his graduation, he was appointed Associate Director of Music and Organist of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, where one of his first major tasks was to play organ for Vespers and Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Madison Square Garden for the first U.S. visit of Pope Francis. In September 2017, Michael received first prize in the First Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Organ Competition. In 2019, he performed solo recitals for the NYCAGO and two regional conventions for the American Guild of Organists. He also performs duo recitals with violinist Christiana Liberis.
Paris has Notre Dame.
South St. Louis has St. Francis de Sales.
St. Francis de Sales church, once crowned “The Cathedral of South St. Louis,” is a cultural icon in its own right. Occupying a space as wide as it is tall - sporting the tallest spire in the whole city - this majestic church is one of the founding blocks of St. Louis.
The massive Neo-Gothic historic landmark church embodies more than one hundred years of human and architectural history of St. Louis, its immigrant roots, urban development through two World Wars, and the inevitable booming and ebbing of fortunes. Now it has stepped firmly into the 21st Century.
It is crumbling from age, but vows never to disintegrate. It is in need of our tender care.
Please enjoy our first professional audio and video recording of our Wilhelm Organ, produced in June of 2022! Please revisit our site for additional videos in the future.
The Latest Initiative
A New Organ
The organ has been a vital and integral component of St. Francis de Sales church. Just as the stained glass, fine woodwork, and frescoes provide visual and tactile beauty, the organ is the source of tangible, aural beauty for the human senses; it is the voice of this majestic edifice.
About
Formed to Fortify Restoration
Following the most recent phase of renewal of the church, the DeSales Heritage Foundation was formed in 2018 to fortify the restoration effort, and to carry it to maturity. Find out about our organization, mission, on-going work, and the achievements thus far.
Take Action
Ready to take the next step?
See our current projects. You can become a contributor to our cause.
