SF9 #50 - Ramara History- St. Joseph's Black River Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Be-Strong-Carry-On!: Whose idea was this anyway?

More
Hidden : 4/26/2013
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

Pay a visit to the picturesque St. Joseph's Catholic Church at Black River.

Take a stroll through the cemetery and see if you can spot the funniest headstone that we have ever seen.
Can you spot it? Why did Harry die?


This series of caches will take you to some of the many Historic locations around Ramara Township. The first settler in Mara arrived in 1823; Rama’s settlement began in 1836. Each of the sites we have chosen were significant prior to 1900.

As each of these locations is historically significant, please pay extra attention and do not unnecessarily disturb anything at the site. In the case of active cemetery caches, please be respectful of any mourners that may be present and wait to make your "find" until they have left. It goes without saying that dogs should not be taken onto cemetery or historically sensitive grounds.

Each cache placed in this series is micro-sized. As much as most people prefer larger cache containers, we felt that the micro size allowed for the least disruption of the historic location.


St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church & Cemetery
Black River
 
Ramara Township was first settled in the earliest years of the 19th Century. The early pioneers of the area were mainly Irish and Scottish Catholic immigrants fleeing from religious persecution and lack of opportunity for land ownership, compounded by the terrible potato famine of the 1830's and 40's.

The Township of Mara was opened for settlement in 1821 and the Township of Rama in 1835. In 1841, Rama had only 14 people. Before 1857, the Roman Catholics of these townships depended on a “circuit priest” in order to hear Mass and receive the Sacraments. A priest would ride horseback to serve the Catholic families at “stations” along the way. A “station” was a Catholic home, centrally located in a settlement. The children of that home would be sent out to tell their neighbours that the priest had arrived and the time that the Mass would be celebrated.

By the year 1855 the Irish Catholic population of Mara had grown in great numbers and the parish of St. Columbkille’s was founded. The new priest had a church constructed by 1857. When it opened the “stations” in North Mara were not needed, but were continued in Brechin and Black River as missions of St. Columbkille’s. In Black River the last “station” used was the Hughie Kennedy homestead, a log house about a mile from where St. Joseph’s Church would eventually by built.

In the mid-1880s the Catholic population had outgrown the Kennedy homestead “station”, so it was decided to build a church, with an adjoining cemetery. With cash donations of $98.00, fund raising events and a loan of $80.00 from the Dominion Bank the church was built for $634.31. It was dedicated and blessed by Bishop O’Connor on September 25th, 1887, with its patron saint being St. Joseph. The altar, vestry and the vestibule were added to St. Joseph’s in 1907. Much of the building materials used for this addition came from the original St. Columbkille’s. Uptergrove priests scheduled Mass at Black River once a week in the summer months, and once a month in the winter months.

In the early sixties, the shortage of priests in the archdiocese caused St. Francis of Assisi in Washago and St. Columbkille's in Uptergrove to become “sister parishes”, and to share the same priest. In 1962, Rev. Francis Voorwerk was made pastor of St. Columbkille’s and St. Francis Church. It was at this time that it was decided to discontinue the Masses at St. Joseph’s, Black River and have all parishoners attend at either Uptergrove or Washago.

This little church contains many artifacts from its mother church, St. Columbkille’s, including its pews, doors, and tabernacle. The St. Francis of Washago parishioners have maintained the church since its closure by way of private donations. Now with a new roof, repaired stucco, painted inside and out in the colours it had in 1910 it indeed looks beautiful. The cemetery beside the church is still used.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

V prqne n Oynpx Ovfba.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


Advertising with Us

Inventory

There are no Trackables in this cache.

View past Trackables

What are Trackable Items?

Bookmark Lists

View all bookmark lists...