HomeMy WebLinkAboutHomecoming '87, 1987-07-01, Page 19THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987. PAGE A-19.
_Homecoming '87_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Although extensive renovations have taken place at St. Ambrose
Catholic Church since the early 1950’s, the original building was
erected in about 1878. The first child baptized in the church was James
Ryan ofWalton, who later becameapriest himself in 1908, celebrating
his first mass in Brussels.
Missionaries brought religion
to earliest Catholic settlers
The Roman Catholic ministry
first came to Huron County in the
mid 1830’s when Rev. John
Wiriath, a missionary priest origi
nally from Alsace visited scattered
colonies of Catholics from Berlin
(Kitchener) as far west as Goderich
in what was then called the Huron
Tract.
He travelled on foot, carrying his
belongings on his back and covered
not only this area but far south as
Niagara and Lake Erie.
In the early years Irishtown (St.
Columban) was the centre for the
Catholic church in the region.
Father Peter Schneider became
the first resident priest there in
1849, preaching in settlers homes
until a log church was built in 1858.
Having been a doctor before he
became a priest, Father Schneider
was able to help the settlers in
many ways.
In the years between 1847 and
1857 there was an influx of 250,000
Irish Catholic families into Cana
da, many settling into the Huron
Tract. Father James Murphy who
became the resident priest at
Irishtown in 1864 undertook a
program of churchbuiiding that
eventually saw churches built in
Seaforth, Clinton, Wingham,
Blyth and Brussels. In 1867 a
decision was made that there were
enough Catholic families in Wing
ham to build a church there.
Blyth’s Pat Kelly who had been
elected member of Parliament was
contracted to build the church.
Father Murphy assumed charge of
the parish from the time the church
was opened in 1877 until 1880 when
the Wingham church became a
mission church of St. Augustine.
On July 20,1876 an acre and a
half of land was bought from Hugh
and Charles Cooper in Brussels for
erection of St. Ambrose Church.
Before the church was built people
from the Brussels area had to travel
to Irishtown to be baptized and
burials took place either in the
Seaforth or Blyth Catholic ceme
teries. Mass was said in a house on
a sideroad between concessions 12
and 13 of Grey with a Father O
Cochrane coming from Seaforth
every third Sunday.
Thefirst child baptized in the
new St. Ambrose Church was
James Ryan of Walton who was
born Augustl7,1879,thesonof
James Ryan. The youngster later
became a priest himself, ordained
in Kansas City in 1908 and
celebrating his first mass in
Brussels.
In 1911 the first resident priest
for Sacred Heart Church, Wing
ham was appointed, with a perma
nent care of St. Ambrose in
Brussels as mission church. Father
J. J. Blair, born in Stratford in
1874, had been assistant post
master in Walkerton before turn
ing to the priesthood. He was
succeeded by Father Joseph Fallon
inl974andinl923Father A. M.
McHugh became the priest for
WinghamandBrussels. During
his stay an Alter Society was
formed.
Despite the depression Father J.
F. Paquette promoted the redecor
ation of St. Ambrose after becom
ing parish priest in May 1933. In
1946, Rev. J. F. Bricklin was
appointed to St. Ambrose after
serving as a padre in the armed
services-during the year.
Rev. R. J. Durand was appointed
parish priest in 1950. Extensive
renovations took place in the next
while. Two stoves had provided
heat in the church, one in the vestry
and one at the back of the church. A
new heating system was installed
and siding was put on the church.
In 1960 Rev. G. Freker was
appointed. Excavations of a base
ment was completed and kitchen
facilities and the parish hall were
added.
During Rev. J. Mooney’s stay
whichbegan in 1964 a cemetery
board improved the care of the
cemetery and a perpetual care fund
was set up.
In 1970 Rev. Mitchell S. Kamin
ski became the parish priest. He
was followed by Rev. Tony Son-
druk and then by Rev. W.
Gutowski. From 1981 to 1984 the
parish priest was Father J. D.
Marentette and from 1984 to the
present Father Stan Soltysik has
ministered to the needs of the
parishoners.
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