Fonds 0700-0011 - Guelph Mission and Parishes Fonds

The Jesuits became involved in the Guelph region in the 1850s. Previously, Catholic missionaries had been active in Guelph beginning in 1827. The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, located in Guelph, Ontario, was managed by the Jesuits of the Province of Canada and then by the Province of Upper Canada from 1852 to 1931. On January 28, 1852, John Holzer, S.J. became the priest of the parish of Guelph, a position he occupied until 1863. Several Jesuit missionaries involved in the Guelph parish during the late 19th century were originally from Austria and Germany. They were involved in the erection of the church and schools. In 1859, Father Holzer founded the St. Joseph’s Hospital, which became the first Catholic hospital in the region.

Financial difficulties prevented the completion of the church building initially planned by Father Holzer. The project was abandoned in the early 1860s, but the work was reinitiated in 1874 by Peter Hamel, S.J. The architecture of the gothic church was inspired by German churches, particularly the one located in Cologne. The cornerstone of the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was laid in 1877, and the construction was terminated in 1888. In 1931, the Jesuits handed over the care of the Guelph parish to the Diocesan clergy.