Church History Leads to a Story to Journey to Print
A Story’s Journey to Print Father Edmond Hayes, The Heritage Builder is a booklet that began when Laurie McGargill was researching the history of St Patrick Catholic Church in Imogene, Iowa. She noticed details of Father Hayes’ influence on the church and began noting these facts in a spreadsheet. Laurie knew the story of Father Hayes needed telling.
A 20-page story emerged from the spreadsheet. Included in the pages is the early history of the church. It also features Father Hayes’ contributions to growing St Patrick into the church it is today. So with the July 9th, 2022, “Bless Our Heritage” event, it was perfect timing to print the booklet.
Bless Our Heritage
The “Bless Our Heritage” event was originally scheduled for 2020 but then had to be rescheduled due to the pandemic. As a result, postponed events include the 140th Jubilee of the church and the final St Patrick Academy All-Class Reunion. There also will be a dedication of the new Heritage Garden and observance of the 50th year of Youth Faith Formation. This year’s celebration is being held in conjunction with the Sons and Daughters of Imogene’s annual “Shamrock Days”.
Finding a Printer
Laurie began looking for a printer to format and print the story. She reached out to Print Express/Cookbook Specialists in Independence, Iowa. She had worked with them before on a book honoring the military service members of the parish, dating as far back as the Civil War to the present. They promptly sent a quote that contained detailed pricing. Compared to other printers, the quote had better pricing. Once they started, Print Express formatted the booklet from Laurie’s file and sent her a proof copy to review and when approved, sent to press.
Laurie’s Testimonial
Laurie said the following about working with Print Express: “It’s been a fabulous working relationship with Print Express. They are very prompt to reply to phone calls and emails. Options and pricing were all listed in the quote. I appreciated the time Sheri spent with me going over details and explaining options. There was a lot of back-and-forth communication and she was professional and assured me the book would meet my expectations. The binding made me nervous, but Sheri assured me saddle stitch was a good, affordable option and it was. The quality of the work has exceeded my expectations.”
Historian’s Contribution
A final note on this story’s journey to print is to honor a great woman, Margaret Mary (Stastny) Laughlin. Margaret unexpectedly passed in January 2019. She had been the resident historian of the church. Her children donated the many boxes of history papers and pictures she had gathered. These helped Laurie write the story of Father Hayes. Additionally, Margaret designed the new Heritage Garden and over the years was a vital member of many committees.
Learn More
To learn more about St Patrick Catholic Church of Imogene Click Here.
To find out more about printing your project with Print Express Click Here or call 319-334-8725.