Page 187 - Transcriptions d'actes notariés - Tome 20 - 1682-1686

Jesuit priests st tliis tittie, the Rev. Lucas Caveng, S.J., and the Rev.
Bernard Fritsch, S.J., and orie lay briithrr, Pilz by name. .4 tliird priest,
tlie Rev. Jorreph Sadler, S.J.. arrived or1 Jan. 18, 1648, but remained
un]) a fer\. muii~lis belure secularizirig himself arid moving to Milwaukee,
Wiscorisiri. R~grilar serviees weie held by the Jesuits in Wiltriot, where
they all resided, snd iri St. Clerrient's, New Prussia arid New Gcriiiariy,
with sialions ai Galt, Preslori, Willia~iiabur~, Strassburg, South East Hope
and Rainham.lN}
Tlie Rev. Rupert Ehner, S.J., who was resideiir priet at Wjlmot
wheii the dimese oi Morniltori \iras iormd iri 1856, arrivetl there iii
1849. IIe was responnihle ior erilargiiig the ehrireh in this village, and
for erecting a fine stone achool there iii 1351. He remairied iri Wilmot
rintil June. 1856. Of ihe two ririginal Jcsuit missionaries here, Fr. Caverig
is knonn tii have been transferred to Buffalu iri 1850. He was replaced
by ~he Rev. Joheph Ritier, S.J.. Irrini 1850 IU 1851, and tiy the Rev.
Joseph Fruzzini, S.J., in 1:52, Iiut returried himseli iri 1853, presurnably
for a brief peiiotl. Spetz declares that for the rest of the tirrie Fr. Ebner
*.as alone in Wjlmiit. '"'Other Jesui t niissioriaries whose nariiea appear
in earIy Waterloo County Caiholic Iiistory aie the Rev. Johti Hulzer,
S.J.,(:'"' the Rev. Andrew Kobler, S.J.. arid the Rev. William Kettler, S.J.
These nien cnine origirially to New Germariu, but rrioved to Guelph early
in 2852 io replace Fr. Culleri.
Iri the same year, 1852, St. Clerrient's received its firpt residetit
prieet, in the persori of the Rev. Columbati Messner, O.C., a native of
the Coming to St. Cleiiient's as a young man, he ininistered
there for some forirteen years, iiiitil 1866, He left St. Cletnerit's ori Jririe
17tli af rhat year, to ielurn to Erirope, but had onIy proceeded as far as
Roches~er, N.Y., wheii illriess forcd him 10 eiiler hospital there. He
died in Rochester on Jan. 11. 1667. While iri St. Clcinent's, Fr. Messner
undertook the constrnction of a new and larger ehureh in 1853 to replace
the original bnilding. The new struettire ivas completed in 2858. The
last years of Fr. Mesmer's 9lay in the village seem LO have been marked
by striie betweeri priest snd congregatioii. apparently arising from
6naneial arid legal diffictiliies over ehnrch snd school property. The
yarish was under jnterdict from Mav 29, 1865 until June 17. 1866.
In general outline, this was ihe situation of Catholieiain in what was
to beeorne the new diocese of Hamilton in 1856. On May 11th of that
year, the Rt. Rev. John Farrell was consecrated firsr Bishop of Harriilton,
and a new era for the Cnthulie Chrirch in the district Liegan.

Speïs op. ch., p. 21.
Spetz, op. cil.. P, 22
(30) Cf. supra, p. 11.
(37) Not hing js hown of hie birtb or enrly fi.