IN THE COUNTY OF WATERLOO                                53

CHAPTER IV.-THE FIRST MISSIONARY.

    Father Wiriath was certainly the first priest to visit New Germany as soon as he came into Waterloo County in 1834.  In the beginning he had to officiate entirely in private houses.  It seems that the first humble log school was erected during his administration, and was used as a church.  A log church, a rude and small building, was later erected and used as a church till 1848.  However, it has the distinction of having been the first Catholic church built north of Dundas, and kept its primacy for quite a few years.  The cemetery must also have been in existence in Father Wiriath's time, possibly before him.  In a letter to the Bishop he asks for the privilege of blessing cemeteries (Aug. 16, 1836).  In this letter he also asks the Bishop to confirm the election of four trustees, who were to deal with the parties that had spoken ill of religion and the clergy.  He further asks the Bishop to secure a government grant of 200 acres of land to the church, as had been done with other churches.  On April 27, 1836, he acknowledged the receipt of £16, government grant for 1835.  In a letter to the Bishop dated Albany, June 3, 1837, he gives a census of his various missions; for New Germany, which he called Rottenburg, he gives 69 Catholic families and 307 souls. (Kingston Archives.) The priest then had, of course, to board and lodge with one of the settlers, and Father Wiriath is said to have done so for weeks at a time.  Of him there is only one marriage testimonial for New Germany preserved at St. Agatha.
    It says: "Sept. 9, 1836 were married according to the rites of the Catholic Church, James Stuart and Mary Baumann, in the presence of Joseph Baumann and Jerome Voegely, in New Germany, Township of Waterloo, Gore District, Upper Canada, by me, Rev.  J. L. Wiriath."

Signed:     Sign of Wife  X
                Joseph Baumann                                J. L. Wiriath,
                Jacob Baumann                                                 Pastor.
                Jerome Voegely

    Several of his baptisms were entered later, on the first page of the register begun by Father Schneider in 1847, apparently by the hand of Father Sadler, S.J., who may have found them entered on slips of paper or in a notebook.  With these are also entered several baptisms performed in Europe.  Father Wiriath's records have not been discovered yet if thy still exist.  Probably they were burned with the Guelph Church in 1844.
    Not much of importance is remembered about him by the older settlers.  In the history of St. Agatha considerable information about this worthy missionary is given where it may be read.  He attended the district from Puslinch to Goderich as well as Woodstock, Brantford, London, and St. Thomas.  On his way to Europe he labored for a while in Syracuse, N.Y. (Cyclopedia Catholic, Vol.  XIV., under Syracuse), and other places.