From: Town
Crier
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 1:24 PM
Bringing Our Local History
To Life!
Approximately two years ago, a few local individuals took a keen
interest in one of the oldest churches in the area; St. Ignatius Church
in Deemerton. Not unlike other churches throughout southern Ontario,
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton had no choice but to consider
the sale of this historic icon that once played a significant role in
the early establishment of the surrounding area while functioning as a
valuable place of worship for over 150 years!
Now under the ownership of the St. Ignatius Preservation Society, there
has been a growing interest in keeping and maintaining this unique
structure for all to enjoy.
The parish of St. Ignatius in the Hamlet of Deemerton, formerly known
as the Hamlet of Beaford, was formed in 1853. The first masses were
celebrated in log homes by Father Caspar Matoga. Fr. Matoga, a Jesuit
priest, was a native of Austria and was stationed in Guelph. He
travelled to the area by foot and on horseback. The parish was
dedicated to St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, the
religious order we know as the Jesuits.
A log church was constructed in 1861 and a Catholic school of log
construction built in 1863 was sited close to the road between the
present day church and parish house.
In 1872, a group of farmers formed a committee and built the present
fieldstone church. Oxen were used to haul, by pulley, a large iron
bucket full of stones to construct the church. Local men volunteered
their labour and Mrs. Jacob Huber Sr. walked the two and a half miles
each day to feed the men. The men stayed in the present home of Lyle
Moyer while the church was under construction. The first load of stones
for the church was delivered by Peter Schneider Sr. The beautiful
stained glass windows were donated by local families. No money was
borrowed for the church's construction.
The church was served by priests from Formosa and later Carlsruhe until
1880 when it became an independent parish with Neustadt and Mildmay as
missions. At that time the fieldstone rectory was built requiring that
the log school be moved across the road for use as a dwelling and the
brick school to the south of the church was constructed.
Tradition dictates that the cornerstone of prominent buildings be
opened on their 100th anniversary. Not until the 110th year, however,
was this cornerstone opened. Inside was a bottle containing two
newspapers, dating back to the time of the building's construction,
along with two coins dated 1872. One of the newspapers was a Neustadt
Weekly paper entitled Der Wichter am Saugeen (The Saugeen Watchman)
dated Thursday, July 18th 1872 and included a small article which read
as follows: "Next Sunday afternoon, July 21st, consecration and laying
down of the cornerstone of the new St. Ignatius Church in Beaford will
be celebrated…everyone is cordially invited." The other publication was
an 8 page Catholic paper printed in Buffalo N.Y. The cornerstone was
updated and replaced for future generations to explore.
Over the past number of years the church has functioned as an
instrumental location for religious retreats and the gathering of
various interest groups, educational institutions, and local family
events. It has also been utilized for women's groups, sewing and
quilter's groups, scouting, guiding and more! The St. Ignatius
Preservation Society is a registered charity with the goal to preserve
the property and maintain a facility for the benefit of the community.
The facility is non-profit and run entirely by volunteers.
"It's important that we not lose sight of our heritage and where we
came from", said Darryl Diemert, Chair of the St. Ignatius Preservation
Society. "The individuals within this local area are well known for
having a tremendous pride in their historical roots. I'm very excited
about preserving the work of our ancestors, its future possibilities
and working together with the local people. This is very much a team
effort." he continued.
At the present time, the church has 26 rooms (including the rectory),
that sleep up to 50 people and can be rented at any time. There are
full washroom and food serving facilities available. A brochure has
been developed and a website is also available for those wishing to
check out the facility (see below).
"We have applied to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for much needed
replacement of the multipurpose hall between the church and house",
reported Diemert. The society will also be holding a work bee for
Friday, September 24th, from 9 am to 3 pm. Anyone interested or
available to help out would be more than welcome. We'd be happy to host
a barbecue for those who can attend.
The committee is also interested in obtaining any historical
information or photographs of the facility, both inside and out. If
anyone has access to this type of information, it would be greatly
appreciated if they could bring it along on Sepember. 24th (work bee)
or Sunday, September 26 during the open house or spaghetti dinner. Our
pastor, Fr. Terry Sehl, is also interested in updating the St. Ignatius
records. All materials will be gladly returned.
To help raise additional awareness of this amazing facility and raise
much needed funds, the society will be hosting an 'All You Can Eat
Spaghetti Dinner', on Sunday, September 26 from 4 to 7 pm at the
church. It will also be featured on the 'Historic Church Tour' put on
by South Bruce Tourism. In addition, a special Cemetery Mass will be
held at 3 pm. The meal will feature spaghetti with a number of homemade
sauces, fresh baked garlic bread, crisp caeser salad, homemade pies and
cheesecakes, tea, coffee, juice, etc. The cost is $10.00 / adult, $5.00
/ child (4 - 12) and pre-schoolers are free!
For more information, please contact 367-2077, email
info@stignatiusdeemerton.ca or check out the website at
www.stignatiusdeemerton.ca
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