From a young age, Patricia “Patty” Roach had a love of music and a very deep faith. Although Patty passed away in 2022 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer, these two passions live on in the Patricia Roach Endowment for Sacred Music.
CCF stewards the fund — and Patty’s philanthropic legacy — for the benefit of Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis.
Having attended grade school at Annunciation, followed by Regina High School, Patty graduated from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. Planning to go into teaching, she received a degree in child life. As Patty’s sister Barbara Roach explains, Patty’s love for “all things music” deepened during her school years as she played the piano and guitar and sang in various choirs. “She was an active member of several parishes throughout her life and eventually returned to Annunciation,” Barbara says. There Patty served as extraordinary minister of holy Communion and sacristan and was a member of the Women’s Schola, singing for funeral Masses.
Patty served as a teacher in various day care centers in the Twin Cities, where she was able to share her love of music with children ranging from infants to preschoolers. “She also loved volunteering at Annunciation’s school library, and she would attend school Mass with the children and encourage them to sing,” Barbara says.
“At one point in her life, Patty discerned entering religious life,” explains Patty’s brother Steve Roach. “She lived with several different religious orders, including one on a Native American reservation.”
Passions in Life and Legacy
With the establishment of the Patricia Roach Endowment for Sacred Music, Patty’s legacy and love of faith and music live on in perpetuity. Annual grants from the endowment support sacred music initiatives at Annunciation Church and School. Patty’s charitable legacy has greatly enriched parish life, including Annunciation’s children’s choir, sacred music education at the parish school, and annual concerts.
What’s more, Patty’s generosity is an inspiration. Since the establishment of her endowment, like-minded Annunciation parishioners have made gifts into the fund, growing the balance — and the size of the grants each year.
Patty’s legacy of faith doesn’t end with beautiful sacred music. In honor of Annunciation’s 100-year anniversary, Patty’s family made a gift from her estate to the parish’s endowed scholarship fund. Grants from the fund provide tuition assistance for children attending Annunciation School, today and forever. “We’re hopeful that this contribution will have an impact, helping kids that maybe otherwise couldn’t afford to attend Annunciation School,” Barbara says.
Though living out of state, both Barbara and Steve stay connected to Annunciation. “We enjoyed being able to hear the sacred music concerts in the spring and fall,” Steve says. “The concerts have been well received by all those who attended, sharing Patty’s love of music with the entire parish. And we’re thrilled that the contribution in her memory to the scholarship fund is making a Catholic education at Annunciation a reality for even more students.”
The siblings attended CCF’s Legacy Society Mass & Luncheon in the autumn of 2023, when Patty was posthumously inducted into the Legacy Society. “Our sister was a pretty humble person,” Barbara says. “Although she’d be surprised to be having an impact today, I’m pretty sure she’d feel honored and proud to be making a difference.”