{"id":2218,"date":"2019-01-03T11:35:57","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T16:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/?p=2218"},"modified":"2019-06-06T10:30:43","modified_gmt":"2019-06-06T14:30:43","slug":"remembering-monsignor-francis-r-seymour-khs-1937-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/2019\/01\/remembering-monsignor-francis-r-seymour-khs-1937-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Monsignor Francis R. Seymour, KHS (1937-2018)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It is with great\u00a0sadness that we announce the death of\u00a0Monsignor\u00a0Francis R.\u00a0Seymour, KHS who served for many years as the first Archivist for the Archdiocese of Newark when he was named to this position in 1969.\u00a0 He was also a founding member of the New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission in 1976 and became Chair of this organization in 2009.\u00a0 The\u00a0contributions Monsignor Seymour made\u00a0to the Monsignor William Noe’ Field Archives & Special Collections Center were\u00a0many and memorable.\u00a0 Counted among his most important and lasting works\u00a0include his careful organization\u00a0of research files related to the priest community, collecting of important documentation from autographed photographs to memorial cards to parish histories\u00a0and many other items and objects related to the story of\u00a0Catholic New Jersey.<\/p>\n

It was also\u00a0in the personal\u00a0sharing of his knowledge and recollections where he really brought history to life.\u00a0 His memory for details was remarkable and brought both enthusiasm and a gentle\u00a0touch to his interactions with the many people he touched during the course of his life.\u00a0\u00a0On a personal level, Monsignor Seymour\u00a0will be\u00a0remembered fondly and missed greatly by the many individuals who and had the privilege to learn from his example\u00a0and had the privilege to call him a colleague and friend.<\/p>\n

Among those associated who treasure his kindness are Tiffany Burns, Assistant to the Dean of University Libraries who remembers \u201cMy first job on the SHU campus was as an employee with the Archdiocese of Newark. Monsignor Seymour hired me to process sacramental requests in Archives and Special Collections twice a week. During my time in the Archives my brother passed away suddenly. It was Monsignor who most comforted me with words of kindness and his gentle explanation of the Church\u2019s teaching during the saddest days of my life. I always felt that when Monsignor Seymour entered the room he brought the Lord with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah Ponichtera, Assistant Dean of Special Collections and the Gallery, adds, \u201cMonsignor Seymour was a font of knowledge about the history of the Archdiocese.\u00a0 He knew off the top of his head what would take an average researcher days to track down.\u00a0 His passing is an enormous loss for historians of the university, the Archdiocese, and the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Monsignor Seymour with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, c. 1981<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n