The History of our Church
St Boniface Roman Catholic Parish dates back to 1834. As one of the oldest parishes in this part of Ontario it has a long and distinguished history. The parish encompasses Ariss, Bloomingdale, Breslau, Conestogo, Marden, Winterbourne, and West Montrose. Most of the Catholic settlers here emigrated from the Alsace-Lorraine and German areas of Europe in the late 1820s. The first settlers were Mathias Fehrenbach, Felix Scharbach and Christian Rich, with the first mass being said in the home of Christian Rich.
The first church would have also doubled as a school in the mid 1830’s and was built by Father John Louis Wiriath. This church, we believe, was located where the parking lot beside the new cemetery is located today. The first resident priest was Very Rev. John Holzer who was responsible for the building of the second church and it was dedicated on the first Sunday of Advent in 1848. By 1875 the little stone church was too small for the congregation and the building of the present church was blessed and officially opened on 10 November 1878 by Father Stephen Foerster. Father Foerster served the parish for 46 years.
In 1940 the New Germany post office was notified that since there was another New Germany near St. Catharine’s, Ontario, letters from soldiers overseas to homes in either village were often arriving at the wrong destination. Four names were suggested. Since the church was on the hill and the people wished to place the village under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maryhill seemed perfect. The decision to change the name was unanimous. The village called New Germany for so many years became Maryhill on Sunday, January 26, 1941.
St Boniface Roman Catholic Parish dates back to 1834. As one of the oldest parishes in this part of Ontario it has a long and distinguished history. The parish encompasses Ariss, Bloomingdale, Breslau, Conestogo, Marden, Winterbourne, and West Montrose. Most of the Catholic settlers here emigrated from the Alsace-Lorraine and German areas of Europe in the late 1820s. The first settlers were Mathias Fehrenbach, Felix Scharbach and Christian Rich, with the first mass being said in the home of Christian Rich.
The first church would have also doubled as a school in the mid 1830’s and was built by Father John Louis Wiriath. This church, we believe, was located where the parking lot beside the new cemetery is located today. The first resident priest was Very Rev. John Holzer who was responsible for the building of the second church and it was dedicated on the first Sunday of Advent in 1848. By 1875 the little stone church was too small for the congregation and the building of the present church was blessed and officially opened on 10 November 1878 by Father Stephen Foerster. Father Foerster served the parish for 46 years.
In 1940 the New Germany post office was notified that since there was another New Germany near St. Catharine’s, Ontario, letters from soldiers overseas to homes in either village were often arriving at the wrong destination. Four names were suggested. Since the church was on the hill and the people wished to place the village under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maryhill seemed perfect. The decision to change the name was unanimous. The village called New Germany for so many years became Maryhill on Sunday, January 26, 1941.
The History of our School
This is the oldest Roman Catholic school in the present Regional Municipality of Waterloo (formerly Waterloo County) still in existence. It is believed that as early as 1834 New Germany had a school – probably doubling as a Church. By 1851 a new school was built. This was a two-room structure made of red brick. In the 1851 census it was listed as 30 x 30 feet. One hundred students attended learning German, English, arithmetic, writing, reading, and geography. Construction on another school began in 1886 and by December 1st of that year the building was blessed and its doors opened to scholars. This school was located in what is now the parking lot beside the new cemetery.
On January 2nd, 1882 the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister M. Michael M. Evangelista, and M. Begga arrived to teach in our school and assist the priest. The first lay teachers were Theobald Wadel, Jacob Leyes, Mr. Gforerer, and Mr. Troy. The nuns taught the smaller children. By January 7, 1884 the Sisters had taken over the boy’s school as well.
In September of 1890, the school trustees, during the absence of Father Foerster, hired a male teacher, Mr. Louis Kraemer, for the older boys. This move was opposed by Father and many rate payers. In 1895 a vote was taken at the August school meeting to decide whether a male teacher was to be hired for 1896. Not one person voted in favour, therefore the Sisters again took over the teaching the older boys.
In 1898, once again the community undertook to erect a new school. The final result was a two story brick school 36 x 64 feet. It consisted of four well-lit and ventilated classrooms, two halls, and cloak rooms. Classes began there on the 16th of October 1898. On June 19th, 1899, the children were called to school by the new bell for the first time. This bell now stands on a special cairn between the school and the Edward Halter Home. The school was surrounded by an immerse playground, which was bordered by maple and evergreen trees. Former students have fond memories of building leaf houses in the fall when the maples were losing leaves.
In 1929 a wire fence was erected along the road in front of the school.
In 1933, in the basement, a dining room was furnished where the children were served a hot drink at noon. Later, because of the dampness of the basement room, the Home Economics equipment was moved upstairs and the spare room, which housed a stage, was furnished as a diner. At the same time the stage was fitted with manual training benches and tools and the subject manual training was added to the program of studies. This room also served as a community hall where meetings and card parties were held. At one time, there was a movable wall of folding doors in present day Room 3 and 4. This allowed the general purpose room with stage to be greatly enlarged, particularly for school concerts. These were well attended. The school also held Christmas concerts which were well attended. There were some mention of spring concerts in the 1920’s.
In 1937, electricity was installed in the school.
The School Sisters also taught Grades 9 and 10 until 1960 when the classes were discontinued and student went into Kitchener for high school.
In 1965, the school was enlarged with the addition of two new classrooms, two washrooms and a large gymnasium, which doubled as a church hall. Further expansion took place three years later with two more classrooms, a staff room for the teachers, and a storage room. A new office for the principal and secretary were also installed.
The new St. Boniface Catholic elementary school opened in September 2021.
This is the oldest Roman Catholic school in the present Regional Municipality of Waterloo (formerly Waterloo County) still in existence. It is believed that as early as 1834 New Germany had a school – probably doubling as a Church. By 1851 a new school was built. This was a two-room structure made of red brick. In the 1851 census it was listed as 30 x 30 feet. One hundred students attended learning German, English, arithmetic, writing, reading, and geography. Construction on another school began in 1886 and by December 1st of that year the building was blessed and its doors opened to scholars. This school was located in what is now the parking lot beside the new cemetery.
On January 2nd, 1882 the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister M. Michael M. Evangelista, and M. Begga arrived to teach in our school and assist the priest. The first lay teachers were Theobald Wadel, Jacob Leyes, Mr. Gforerer, and Mr. Troy. The nuns taught the smaller children. By January 7, 1884 the Sisters had taken over the boy’s school as well.
In September of 1890, the school trustees, during the absence of Father Foerster, hired a male teacher, Mr. Louis Kraemer, for the older boys. This move was opposed by Father and many rate payers. In 1895 a vote was taken at the August school meeting to decide whether a male teacher was to be hired for 1896. Not one person voted in favour, therefore the Sisters again took over the teaching the older boys.
In 1898, once again the community undertook to erect a new school. The final result was a two story brick school 36 x 64 feet. It consisted of four well-lit and ventilated classrooms, two halls, and cloak rooms. Classes began there on the 16th of October 1898. On June 19th, 1899, the children were called to school by the new bell for the first time. This bell now stands on a special cairn between the school and the Edward Halter Home. The school was surrounded by an immerse playground, which was bordered by maple and evergreen trees. Former students have fond memories of building leaf houses in the fall when the maples were losing leaves.
In 1929 a wire fence was erected along the road in front of the school.
In 1933, in the basement, a dining room was furnished where the children were served a hot drink at noon. Later, because of the dampness of the basement room, the Home Economics equipment was moved upstairs and the spare room, which housed a stage, was furnished as a diner. At the same time the stage was fitted with manual training benches and tools and the subject manual training was added to the program of studies. This room also served as a community hall where meetings and card parties were held. At one time, there was a movable wall of folding doors in present day Room 3 and 4. This allowed the general purpose room with stage to be greatly enlarged, particularly for school concerts. These were well attended. The school also held Christmas concerts which were well attended. There were some mention of spring concerts in the 1920’s.
In 1937, electricity was installed in the school.
The School Sisters also taught Grades 9 and 10 until 1960 when the classes were discontinued and student went into Kitchener for high school.
In 1965, the school was enlarged with the addition of two new classrooms, two washrooms and a large gymnasium, which doubled as a church hall. Further expansion took place three years later with two more classrooms, a staff room for the teachers, and a storage room. A new office for the principal and secretary were also installed.
The new St. Boniface Catholic elementary school opened in September 2021.