The story told of the beginning of religion in a particular district is much the same everywhere. It runs in this wise and generally has four stages: 1. One or more families drawn to a locality by the prospect of employment, clinging to the faith of their fathers in the land of their birth,--clinging to it all the more if the hand of oppression for conscience's sake weighed heavily on them at home, journeyed many miles, sometimes hundreds of miles, to New York City or to some other city equally fortunate in having a church and priest, to obtain the succors of religion. At the opening of this century, there was the one church, old St. Peter's, in Barclay street, New York City,--the one star of hope, shining in the firmament which covers the states of New York and New Jersey. Thus, the Catholics of northern New Jersey, craving for the bread of life and the Word of God, from time to time found their way to old St. Peter's. Thus, as I have often heard in Western New York, the parents of ex-Senator Kernan brought their son from Steuben county to New York City for baptism; so also did the Klems of Rochester bring their child to New York City, a distance of 400 miles, where it was baptized by Bishop Connolly. It was a two weeks' ride. There were no canals or railroads in those days; nor were the wagon roads remarkable for smoothness, or well-adapted for speed. The Kernans were from Ireland; the Klems from Germany. They worthily represented a large class of intelligent and devout Christian people who believed and lived according to their belief. The descendants of both families are very numerous, and keep the faith. The second stage of progress in the introduction of Catholicity is the occasional visit of a priest coming oftentimes from a great distance. Thus, we are told that the Rev. Mr. Farmer (Steenmeyer), came from Philadelphia and Conshocken, twice a year, to visit the few scattered families of northern New Jersey. These visits began several years before the Revolutionary War, were discontinued while the contending armies were encamped in that part of the country, and resumed on the return of peace. His visits were chiefly to a settlement of German Catholics at Macoupin in Sussex Co. They had been brought over from Germany about 1767 to work in the iron mines and forges and to burn charcoal. They are not to be confounded with the Hessians who had been shipped to America to fight against the colonists. After Father Farmer ceased to visit Macoupin, the settlers were left for forty years without a priest. During these years of spiritual deprivation, old Marion, the patriarch of the settlement, kept alive religion by rendering such services as were within his power. On Sunday, he gathered together the inhabitants of the place for mass, prayers and the rosary. He taught the children their prayers and catechism. The zealous labors of this pious man not only kept alive the faith, but nourished a spirit of piety among the people.