Friar James was born in Niederbreitbach / Wiedtal on 15 October 1830 as Peter Wirth. He was the fourth child of Theodor and Katharina Wirth. His father was a shepherd; his mother ran a small pub. When he was nine, Peter lost his father, with ten his mother. Because of this tragedy, the impoverished family was torn apart, and Peter was looked after by his godfather / uncle who was a teacher in Niederbreitbach. Over the years, his godfather made Peter his assistant at school, but for financial reasons, Peter could not attend the teacher seminar. He started instead an apprenticeship as a shoemaker. Peter was an introvert young man. He joined the Franciscan Tertiary, which worked in social and religious areas in Peter’s homeland. He felt more and more attached to monastery life.