The young priest was eager to engage in the missionary life among the widely scattered Germans of the area. His name was JOHN NEPOMUCENE NEUMANN and he had been sent to take charge of the mission outside Buffalo - to establish headquarters in Williamsville. Here Father Neumann found a mission of about forty families, some living in the village, with others scattered throughout the surrounding dist
rict. Some years before, the people had determined to establish a church in the village. The project had been encouraged by the resident pastor in the Buffalo area, but the necessary impulse to begin the project was lacking. Oziel Smith, a non-Catholic wishing to establish a community church in the village, offered to donate a small parcel of land for that purpose upon condition that the church would be built of stone. The land was situated at the western corner of Main and Grove Streets; the offer of it was accepted and everyone helped in its construction. When Father Neumann arrived in July of 1836, the walls of the church were already erected, though the building could boast neither roof nor floor when the services were first held within the unadorned walls. A temporary altar and a few rough benches showed that the church was being used. Finally, towards the end of the year, the church was completed. The young pastor, seeing the need of the children for both secular and religious instruction, now assumed the duties of a teacher. He held classes first in the home of a parishioner and then in a small rented building. His pastorate continued here until the autumn of 1840, at which time he joined the Redemptorist Society. He took official leave on October 9th, 1840. In 1977 this humble and dedicated priest was canonized a saint by Pope Paul VI. His feast is celebrated on January 5th.
