Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis prays for the recovery of stolen historic organ pipes amid a fervent investigation.
Church Left in Disbelief of Robbery
Members of Calvary Episcopal Church in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, are left in disbelief and fervently praying for the repentance of the culprits behind the theft of a moving truck containing a treasure trove of historic organ pipes.
The organ pipes hold immeasurable value for the restoration project they were destined to be a part of.
Calvary Episcopal Church had carefully loaded a Penske truck with nearly 2,000 organ pipes, collected over almost nine decades, for transportation to Spencer Organ Company in Boston.
The pipes were scheduled to undergo a comprehensive restoration process.
Truck and Pipes Gone Without a Trace
When the church members arrived on Sunday, they were met with an alarming revelation—the truck, along with the organ pipes, had vanished without a trace.
Joseph Rotella, the owner of Spencer Organ Company, expressed his concerns in a police report, emphasizing the worth of the stolen pipes.
“They have amazing intrinsic value to this project; they are historic. It is going to be very hard to duplicate them, but they don’t have a lot of value outside of this organ.”
In an official statement posted on the church’s website, Calvary Episcopal Church stated the Memphis Police Department and Penske has joined forces in a search for the missing truck.
Rotella said similar thefts were experienced by colleagues and that the church remains hopeful for a resolution for his church and all churches. “In those cases, the thieves realized that the contents of the van had little to no street value and abandoned the vehicles,” the statement conveyed. “We hope for a similar resolution in the days to come.”
Calvary Receives Community Support
The organ pipes hold historical and sentimental significance to Calvary Episcopal Church, which is why this theft triggered an outpour of concern and support from the local community.
Authorities have been urged to leave no stone unturned.
UPDATE: The organ pipes have been recovered, according to WREG Memphis. A stolen Penske truck containing hundreds of organ pipes from Calvary Episcopal Church downtown was recovered by police.
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