Musicians Among Fans of Charity-focused Miss Marie’s Spaghetti Sauce

New Orleans-born pianist Harry Connick Jr. was one of the first recipients of Miss Marie’s Spaghetti Sauce, a new product launch that will benefit two charities.

The sauce, created by Kentucky-based evangelist and motivational speaker Father Jim Sichko to preserve his late mother’s memory, will split its proceeds between South East Texas Hospice and the Diocese of Lexington’s One in Christ Annual Appeal, which assists many struggling, families in Eastern Kentucky, according to the press release.

"Since becoming a priest, Fr. Jim has made headlines for random acts of generosity and kindness, giving away thousands of dollars to people at the grocery stores, on the streets and especially to those most in need," his bio reads.

The Connick connection comes through his first appearance as a guest on Sichko’s 12-year-running U.S. TV series An Evening Among Friends, which featured such guests as Natalie Cole, Donny Osmond, and Dolly Parton over the years: Connick befriended Sichko, along with his mother Marie, whom he affectionately called Miss Marie.

Sichko, a Catholic priest who also serves as the Papal Missionary of Hope for Pope Francis, uses his mother’s secret recipe for the sauce,  which  retails for $10 U.S. and can be ordered online here. 

The all-natural-ingredient sauce, which was produced in consultation with chef Ouita Michel, Ward’s Kentucky Specialties’ Nancy Ward  and processed at Kentucky’s Bluegrass Superior Foods, stressing organic and local manufacturing of the product, continues the memory of Marie Sichko, who loved to cook for others, providing a weekly lunch for sanitation workers who picked up the neighbourhood garbage.

Miss Marie’s Spaghetti Sauce is just the latest venture for Father Sichko, who has been known for past acts of largesse.

In 2016, he gave $6,000 to Starbucks employees in Lexington, Kentucky as well as a Muslim refugee family, a Hispanic family and an LGBT man for groceries for himself and his mother.

He also gave $4,000 to strangers in the area two years earlier, to help spread the Christmas spirit and pay bills.

As for the two charities benefitting from spaghetti sauce sales, the Southeast Texas Hospice was the first hospice established in Texas, opening in 1979. It’s a founding member of the National Hospice Organization and the Texas Hospice Organization.

The objective of the Diocese of Lexington’s One in Christ Annual Appeal is to provide each Catholic family an opportunity to share their blessings with others, and distributes its proceeds via a grant process to parishes, missions of parishes, Catholic schools, outreach ministries and diocesan-wide programming. 

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