The fund was established in 2008 in memory of former Music Minister Pat Siviski (d. 2007) who, along with her husband, Ron, and 3 children, built and directed a vibrant church music program with four choirs at Sacred Heart Church in Yarmouth, ME. beginning in 1984.
The Fund supports innovative programming at Sacred Heart Church, POTHE and the surrounding community.
If you would like to become a friend of the Patricia Siviski Endowment Fund please contact
The Catholic Foundation of Maine, Portland, ME
Two months after its lofty participation in the 2006 adjudicated Verona International Choir Competition, Sacred Heart choir members – as well as fellow parishioners – would face one of the lowest lows in decades culminating at budget time in June of 2006. The reality of a looming recession, the climate of cluster/consolidation, the constraint of candidates for ordination, combined with the early stages of sexual abuse throughout the Church all converged for a real crisis which had to be addressed by Pastor Fr. Ray Picard and parish leaders. The music ministry program took a 17% cut along with other church departments. It was perhaps the greatest challenge faced by the parish since its founding during The Great Recession. Pat Siviski, undeterred by this news or the news that she was dying of cancer and with less than four months to live as it turned out, drafted this call to action in January 2007 to Sacred Heart Choir members: “Now we find ourselves at an important crossroads. Who will hold the vision for our ministry? Who will dream us into a future where music ministry continues to be a beacon for the parish and for the community?” The choir responded: “We will!”
Interested in applying for a grant from the PATRICIA SIVISKI MUSIC ENDOWMENT FUND to help fund a worthy parish or community project consistent with established guidelines (see above)?
Click here