AUBURN — Years of hard work and dedication will come to a celebratory end on Saturday, Oct. 9 at Sacred Heart Church.
All are welcome to gather for a special event to celebrate the “new” 1954 Casavant Opus 2277 pipe organ at the church, located on 24 Sacred Heart Place. The event will feature a buffet dinner at 5 p.m., a blessing of the organ at 6:30 p.m., and a concert with John Mehmann, Leon Griesbach, and Scott Vaillancourt at 7 p.m. Free tickets for the dinner are available at the parish office or after all Masses. Tickets are not needed if you are just attending the blessing and/or concert.
The celebration comes at the end of a winding road that began almost six years ago, when the parish purchased the pipe organ from the Sisters of Notre Dame in Toledo, Ohio, who had used the instrument for over 60 years. Subsequently, the Faucher Organ Company rebuilt the organ, which received several improvements and modifications to meet current Maine code.
To help defray the costs involved in the project, the Sister Elizabeth Platt Organ Fund for Sacred Heart Church was established. The fund was so named to honor Sister Elizabeth in recognition of her over 30 years of dedicated service to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, of which Sacred Heart Church is a part. Sister Elizabeth, who passed away in 2019, led choirs and had a great fondness for beautiful, sacred music. Donors to the fund are being recognized by having their names listed in a memorial next to the organ.
In addition to covering the organ installation and interior church modifications, proceeds from the fund are being used for on-going maintenance and improvements of the instrument; education and training of parish organists, choirs, and cantors; the subsidizing of organ lessons for deserving and talented young people; and additions to the parish music library of sacred music.
For more information about the event on Oct. 9, contact Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish at 207-782-8096.