Schedule
6:30 am Mass English
12:10 pm Mass English or Latin
6:30 pm Blessing & Rededication of Pipe Organ with Preludes
7 pm Mass Latin
Reception in the Foley House after Mass
Garage rollup door will close at 12 am
A plenary indulgence is granted to those who devoutly visit the parochial church on its titular feast. When visiting the church, one Our Father and the Creed must be recited, along with the usual conditions. To obtain the indulgence, the faithful must perform the indulgenced work; have complete detachment from sin; have sacramentally confessed their sins within a period of 8 days; receive Holy Eucharist; pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
The Annunciation
This is a great day, not only to man, but even to God himself; for it is the anniversary of the most solemn event that time has ever witnessed. On this day, the Divine Word, by which the Father created the world, was made flesh in the womb of the Virgin, and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) We must spend it in joy. Whilst we adore the Song of God who humbled himself by thus becoming Man, let us give thanks to the Father, who so loved the world, as to give his Only Begotten Son; (John 3:16) let tus give thanks to the Holy Ghost, whose almight power achieves the great mystery.
The Liturgical Year by Dom Gueranger
Celebrating a Century of Service
About the Pilcher Opus 1206
Installed in 1924, the organ known today as Pilcher Opus 1206 has served as the musical and liturgical heartbeat of Annunciation for a century.
On April 2, 1924, installation was completed by Edward C. and H. J. Harvey. The instrument cost $10,500—a considerable sum at the time, equivalent to approximately $185,850 in today’s dollars. The agreement for the organ’s construction was signed in May 1923 by Msgr. George Walsh, the parish’s third pastor, then in his ninth year of service.
Henry Pilcher’s Sons of Louisville, Kentucky, was a respected firm in the American Romantic Organ tradition. The Opus 1206 was designed with 23 ranks and three manuals and pedals, featuring lush Romantic-era voicing, with flutes, strings, and reeds.
It is especially well-suited to playing orchestral transcriptions and other repertoire that was in popular use in the early twentieth century; moreover, its broad tonal palette makes it a very versatile instrument for improvisation.
Many organs from the early twentieth century underwent extensive alterations during the middle of the century in response to changing tastes. Annunciation’s organ, however, remained unaltered. It sounds today as it did when newly installed, which allows worshipers and concert audiences an opportunity to appreciate this historically significant sound in its undiminished beauty, a living witness to the continuity of worship and beauty in the heart of downtown Houston.
Restoration Project
Back in 2021, we set out to restore and repair our beloved organ to preserve this treasure for future generations.
Restoration work focused on cleaning and re-leathering, ensuring the original voicing of the pipes was respected and revived. Each of the organ’s nearly 1,000 pipes—ranging from delicate flutes to bold reeds—was carefully removed, cleaned, and restored to its original resonance.
This blessing & rededication celebrates not only the rebirth of a historic instrument, but the generosity and dedication of all who made its restoration possible.
As its voice fills the sanctuary anew, the Pilcher organ continues its legacy of lifting hearts and minds in praise—faithful to its origins, and ready for the future.