LETTERS: BOOK ATTEMPTS TO PRESERVE RECORDS

To the editor:

I read with somewhat saddened heart the article Father Seyer wrote to the Southeast Missourian mentioning our lack of appreciation in noting the efforts his parents gave to Holy Family Catholic Church, especially when neither Sharon Sanders nor myself was ever contacted about his proofing the book.

I too am a Catholic and proud of my faith. The book is by no means complete. It is simply as its title suggests: "The Diary of Father Darling" and the "Church Register." Our goal was to simply copy the records before they were permanently archived out of the state and forever lost. We felt the need to print them and make them available for this and future generations.

I agree with Father Seyer. His parents did much more than run an electrical cord. However, I think has taken Peggy Scott's wonderful article out of context. Her referral to the electrical cord was just part of the many things Mr. and Mrs. Seyer did to assist Father Darling. The only reason it was mentioned at all is because Father Darling notes it in his diary.

What Peggy did was an overview. The book is not designed and never was to be a who-did-what to support the church. It was simply meant as a starting point for black genealogy. I am sorry if anyone was offended.

There are many others in the community who donated much to Holy Family Catholic Church that we were unaware of. This is not our error but simply part of trying to stay within the title and focus on the text. There is an all-name index specifically for the registers and the diary. The failure of being listed there does not mean we failed to note an accomplishment. We had to stay within our focused efforts.

It is a wonderful man's diary and a church register. That is all. Father Seyer should be pleased that his father is the only white obituary we obtained and placed into the clippings section. Perhaps when he can read the text, he will also smile at Father Darling's notation of an altar boy being so excited to assist at a later Mass that he failed to eat the night before. The lad fainted dead away but was quickly revived with milk and cookies from Father Seyer's generous mother's kitchen.

God bless you all, and keep the faith. Any faith. Just work it.

DIANA STEELE

Cape Girardeau