Before this time, however, the few German families gathered once a month or once a fortnight in the basement of St. John's church in Oliver street to have special German services. Among those who attended were John Ratzer, Martin Bauman, Christian Geissler, Leander Kranz, Michael Thalhammer, Joseph Merklin, Joseph Durgeth, Philip Brendel, Mr. Zentner, Mr. Yost, Mr. Schnell and a few others. The services were conducted by Father Hartlaub as early as 1854. On April 18th of that year Father Hartlaub baptized in this church Joseph August Geissler, at present parish priest in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and on December 18th following Emma Mitch, who subsequently attained considerable renown as a singer, was baptized there. Father Hartlaub attended for four years to the spiritual wants of the German Catholics and was succeeded on July 18th, 1858, by Father Louis Fink, at present Bishop of Leavenworth, Kansas. About the first of August, 1859, Father J. J. Schandel succeeded Father Fink and was appointed permanent priest for the Germans. His first baptism was performed on August 11th, and the first marriage at which he assisted was on the 30th of the same month, the contracting parties being Michael Courtade and Miss Anne Mary Brotchie. Father Schandel was very popular amongst all classes of people and his name is still frequently mentioned with reverence and affection. He worked very hard among his countrymen and it was he who conceived the idea and furthered the project of building a church for German Catholics. He purchased the ground on the corner of Main and Slater streets where St. Boniface's Church now stands, and erected that structure which has a seating capacity of 900. The German Catholics in Paterson were few in number and not blessed with worldly riches and Father Schandel was obliged to work for his support in outside missions, a labor to which he devoted himself with assiduity. For a long time he visited regularly every month St. Joseph's Church at Macopin; he also visited occasionally the Catholics in Ringwood and attended to the spiritual needs of the Catholics at St. Francis Church, Lodi.
In 1869 he visited Passaic regularly and secured ground for and erected St. Nicholas' Church. Before that time the Catholics of Passaic had worshipped in a room in one of the factories. The interest awakened in the Catholic Church by Father Schandel and the immigration of a number of German Catholics soon gave the worthy priest more to do than he could attend to. He accordingly asked Bishop Bayley for an assistant priest. His prayer was granted and on August 5th, 1869, Father Nicholas Hens, who had just been ordained, came to Paterson. This worthy priest followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, and Fathers Schandel and Hens worked together energetically and in the greatest harmony. The silk mills at this time attracted large numbers of persons to Paterson and Father Schandel concluded that it would be well to erect the Catholics in Passaic into a separate congregation. Bishop Bayley thought well of the plan and on July 21st, 1871, Father Schandel was transferred to Passaic and Father Hens was appointed pastor of St. Boniface's in this city. Father Schandel remained in Passaic until 1873 when he was succeeded by Father Schneider, the present efficient and well-beloved priest of the church. At present there are about 250 families in the congregation in Passaic, and the parochial school, in charge of the Sisters of Charity, is attended by nearly 300 children.