Rev. William Kloepfer

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-134892
• Occupation: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Laborer
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Roman Catholic
• Occupation: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Priest
• Residence: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Roman Catholic
• Occupation: 1891, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Priest
• Residence: 1891, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Roman Catholic
• Residence: 1897, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1901, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; parish priest and professor

Notes:

St. Clement's Roman Catholic Church

The first Catholic missionaries in the area were Father James W. Campion, Father Cassidy and Father John Cullen - beginning c.1828. They were followed by the St. Agatha missionaries, Fathers John Louis Wiriath (1834-1837) and Peter Schneider (1838-1844), but it was Father Simon Sanderl (1844-1848), also from St. Agatha, who organized the construction of a church. The deed for the land, located on the northwest corner of Duke and Guelph (now Dolph) Streets and purchased from the Erb brothers (for five shillings), was dated March 9, 1846, but it is thought that building actually began in 1844. The new church was reported to be "perhaps the only substantial Catholic church west of Toronto" (Spetz 1916: 139).

Services were held more or less monthly for many years as priests were in short supply and had to be shared by other congregations. Regular monthly services began in February 1882 with the arrival of Father William Kloepfer of Berlin who looked after Preston as well. Then, beginning in 1889 Preston and Hespeler became missions of Galt. Finally, on March 25, 1905, Preston received its own resident pastor, Rev. Jonas Lenhard. By now it had become apparent that a new and larger church was definitely needed but it was not until January 1907, when Father William Gehl was pastor, that land further along Duke Street was purchased. The cornerstone for the present church was laid September 4, 1911, and the basement of the building was ready for use the following year. The basement continued in use for services until the church was completely finished in 1922. The old church had been torn down in the summer of 1915. Fire on December 26, 1971 caused considerable damage, but the church was not damaged structurally. Repairs were made and the church was rededicated on June 25, 1972.

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose