To the Board of Supervisors of Lewis County, West Virginia.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

My name is Margaret Rathbun. I am the great, great granddaughter of Micheal Griffin and Margaret (Grogan) Griffin who immigrated from County Donegal, Ireland to Lewis County, in then northwestern Virginia, in 1840. The Griffins were part of a great exodus of Irish people who left Ireland and came to America during the Potato Famine of the 1840s. Most of the immigrants traveled with people from their same county of origin and often settled together. Lewis County, and nearby Weston, became the new home of many immigrants from County Donegal and County Galway. The Irish immigrants brought with them their love of music, literature and learning as well as their strong Catholic faith. In that regard, it was important for these new immigrant communities to have a church where they could gather for Mass when a traveling priest was available. In 1845, Michael Griffin built St. Michael's Church (a large log structure) on Flesher Run of Knawl Creek. The church served as the first permanent Catholic church in Lewis County and served as an important and central part of life for a growing and vibrant population for many years until a larger permanent structure was built in nearby Weston.

I am writing to you to request an allocation of public funds for the purchase of a small plaque and cross to be placed at or near the original location of St. Micheal's Church (there is County land within 300 yards). The plaque would commemerate the original church and the local Irish population and would contain the prayer to St. Micheal the Archangel, a favorite of the Irish immigrants.

I understand that you might have some concern that paying for the plaque and cross, and allowing it to be placed on public land, would somehow violate the separation between government and religion. However, it is an historical fact that the immigrants that settled Lewis County and developed its communities,businesses and schools, were Irish Catholic immigrants. The plaque and cross are a commemorative of the early settlers and the prayer is instructive of their beliefs. An historical marker with an important prayer is a recognition of the people, ideas and beliefs that built up Lewis County. It is a way for the Board of Supervisors to show an appreciaition for the County's history and a further recognition of the inclusiveness that now characterizes the community as a whole. Because it is important to support diversity within our communities, what better way to recognize the diverse and rich cultural and religious backgrounds that make up our history.