[UPDATE] By now, the whole world has heard about the devastating wildfires on the island of Maui, here in Hawaii, and the horrific fires which have completely flattened the historic town of Lahaina, with 93 persons confirmed dead and nearly 3,000 buildings destroyed.

Among those buildings lost was Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, a parish of 150 years, which had a Beckerath positiv organ, a single manual and pedal instrument with 8 ranks and a split keyboard.

You might not know that this organ was originally owned by the Lutheran Church of Honolulu and that when I was contracted to play a Bach cantata in 1974, this was the organ I played. It served as an interim instrument while the larger organ was being built. It previously was located in a church in Sweden where they found that a slightly higher pitch made the tuning more stable. That pitch was A=444, and when the larger instrument was built, it was decided to set the pitch also at A=444. For 2-1/2 years there were two Beckerath organs in the church, until the smaller instrument was sold to Holy Innocents. With the two organs in the church, we had great fun playing the organ concertos of Antonio Soler and alternating verses on the hymns.

Carl Crosier was invited to play the dedication recital in January 1977, and I went along to turn pages. We stayed at the historic Pioneer Inn which was another casualty in this week’s wildfires. At that time, we met Fr. Charles Burger of Holy Innocents, who had fallen in love with the organ and persuaded his parish to buy it at the cost of $12,000. Later that year, Fr. Burger became one of three clergy who presided at our wedding on July 15, 1977.

I just found out that Fr. Burger died in February of this year and that his ashes were scattered in the ocean off Holy Innocents. You can read his obituary here.

Here is what was posted on the Holy Innocents Facebook page:

We have received the first on the ground photos confirming that Holy Innocents’ Church buildings (sanctuary, preschool and vicarage) are gone. The public elementary school, Kamehameha III, next door is also gone.

The Church —God’s people — abound. Members of Holy Innocents are sheltering throughout Maui and Oahu.

The Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi is coordinating immediate diocesan relief efforts with state, county and others to the Lahaina Fire disaster through the Diocese’s A CUP OF COLD WATER (ACCW) ( https://www.episcopalhawaii.org/a-cup-of-cold-water.html ) (a separately incorporated subsidiary of the Diocese that serves the houseless on Maui).

Make an online donation through the Bishop’s Pastoral Fund

( https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/… )

on the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi (the funds will be gathered and sent to ACCW).

OR

Mail checks to:

A Cup of Cold Water
2140 Main St.
Wailuku, HI 96793