 In 1770 family affairs took him to Italy, where he finished his theological studies and was ordained priest at Como on 2 April 1774.After he had served at Como for a while as chaplain at the hospital, he returned to Germany.In 1775 he was appointed as chaplain at Helmsheim, in 1778 as chaplain and in 1783 as court preacher at Mannheim, and in 1785 as parish priest at Herrnsheim.