More than a thousand pipes, two craftsmen, yet one calling

For more than a century, the organ pipes of Saint Augustine Cathedral have played sacred music for the faithful, carrying prayer, proclamation, and praise into the expansive space of the historic cathedral. Each pipe has a voice, a purpose, and a place in a larger harmony. Now, all 1,644 of them are beginning a journey that will give that voice a new life.
 
Earlier this month, two craftsmen from Italy arrived at 192 S. Stone Avenue in Tucson to begin the careful work of renewal. Fabrizio Scolaro, from nearby Bologna, and Giulio Salan, from the Verona area, were sent by Fratelli Ruffatti, one of the world’s most respected organ builders and restorers. Their task is not simply to build something new, but to preserve what already exists. Experts agree that the cathedral’s pipes are a rare and valuable asset, worthy of being restored rather than replaced.
 
For Giulio, this visit marked his first time in the United States. For Fabrizio, who has traveled widely, it was his first experience in Arizona. Together, they approached the organ not as a machine, but as a living instrument. Pipe by pipe, they carefully removed, labeled, and packed each one. Every pipe differs in size, shape, and tone. Some are small enough to hold in one hand. Others tower overhead. Each contributes its own voice to the cathedral’s unique sound.
 
Over the years, continuous play, and regular wear and tear have taken a toll on the instrument’s internal mechanisms, many of which can no longer be reused. While the pipes themselves will be restored in Padova, Italy, Fratelli Ruffatti will also craft new internal components designed to support the organ for generations to come. When completed, the instrument will be installed in a new location on the balcony above the Cathedral’s main entrance and housed within a newly designed wooden case.
 
Within days of their arrival, the 1,644 pipes were prepared for shipment overseas. Soon, they will be loaded into a 20-foot sea-land container and begin their journey across the Atlantic. The restoration process is expected to take nearly two years, after which Fabrizio and Giulio will return to Tucson for a month-long stay to reinstall and meticulously tune each pipe. Only then will the organ’s full voice return, carefully balanced and restored to its original character.
 
In the meantime, a digital organ will support the Cathedral’s liturgies, ensuring worship continues while the pipes themselves rest in skilled hands abroad.

Outside their work, Fabrizio and Giulio have experienced Tucson for the first time, sharing meals at local restaurants and encountering a culture far from their homes and families in Italy. Yet their true connection to the city remains inside the Cathedral, where rows of empty pipe chambers now stand as a quiet promise of what is to come.

 When the pipes return, they will not simply fill a space with sound. They will once again carry prayer, mark sacred moments, and lift hearts heavenward. Their journey reminds us that sacred music is not fleeting. It is built, preserved, and entrusted to those called to listen carefully, work patiently, and restore what time has worn, so that future generations may hear the same sacred sound of faith.