History
Adolph Kolping (8 December 1813 — 4 December 1865) was a
German Catholic priest and the founder of the Kolping Association. He led the movement for providing and promoting social support for workers in industrialized cities while also working to promote the dignities of workers in accordance with the social
magisterium of the faith. He was called
Gesellenvater (the Journeymen's Father).
The
beatification for the priest commenced on 21 March 1934 and he was later titled as
Venerable in 1989. His beatification was celebrated under
Pope John Paul II on 27 October 1991 in
Saint Peter's Square; his liturgical feast is not affixed to the date of his death as is the norm but rather on 6 December.
Adolph Kolping was born on 8 December 1813 in
Kerpen as the fourth of five children to the poor
shepherd Peter Kolping (d. 12 April 1845) and Anna Maria Zurheyden (d. 4 April 1833). He often lived in the shadow of frail health during his childhood.
He proved to be an able student while in school from 1820 to 1826 but his poverty prevented him from furthering his education despite his commitment to pursue additional studies. In 1831 he travelled to
Cologne as a shoemaker's assistant and soon became shocked with the living conditions of the working class that lived there and this proved to be definitive in influencing his decision to become a
priest; he remained a shoemaker until 1841. Kolping's desire for higher education never ceased. In summer 1834 he attended the
Three Kings School and afterwards in 1841 began his theological education in
Munich (1841–42) at the
college there as well as later in
Bonn (1842–44) and Cologne (26 March 1844 – 1845). His time spent on his studies saw him become friends with the future
Bishop of Mainz Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler.
Kolping as a priest
Kolping was
ordained to the priesthood on 13 April 1845 in Cologne's
Minoritenkirche but his father died the night before so his ordination was full of mixed emotions. He first served in Elberfeld – now part of
Wuppertal – as a chaplain and
religious education teacher from 1845 until 1849. There a number of journeymen carpenters had founded a choral society with the aid of a teacher and the local clergy. It grew rapidly into a Young Workmen's Society with the acknowledged object of fostering the religious life of the members, and at the same time of improving their mechanical skill. In 1847 he became the second president of the
Gesellenverein, German Catholic societies for the religious, moral, and professional improvement of young men which gave its members both religious and social support.
In 1849 he returned to Cologne as the
cathedral's vicar and established Cologne's branch of the Gesellenverein. "Initially his objective was to provide a home-away-from- home for young apprentices and journeymen while they learned a trade that would enable them to make a decent and honest living." The Cologne society soon acquired its own home, and opened therein a hospice for young traveling journeymen. In his efforts to develop the work Kolping was energetic and undaunted. He was eloquent both as speaker and writer. He visited the great industrial centres of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Hungary. In 1850 he united the existing associations as the "Rheinischer Gesellenbund" – this fusion was the origin of the present international "Kolpingwerk". In 1854 he founded the newspaper "Rheinische Volksblätter" (or the "Rhine Region People’s Paper") which quickly became one of the most successful press organs of his time. He was the editor of the Catholic People's Calendar from 1852 to 1853 and of the Calendar for the Catholic People from 1854 to 1855. In 1862 he became the rector of the
Saint Maria Empfängnis church in Cologne.
Pope Pius IX titled him as a
Monsignor in 1862 – this came about after the pair met in
Rome in a private audience in May to discuss the priest's work. By 1865, over 400 local groups of the journeymen’s organization had been established and were functioning throughout Europe and in America.
Tomb of Adolph Kolping in the Saint Maria Empfängnis church in Cologne
He died on 4 December 1865 due to
lung cancer; he had suffered from a severe joint inflammation in his right forearm that spring. His remains are buried in the Saint Maria Empfängnis church (Minoritenkirche). He is remembered as the "Father of All Apprentices" and in 2003 was ranked eleventh in the
Unsere Besten.
Pope John Paul II visited his tomb in November 1980 while visiting the nation. He said:”We need models like Adolph Kolping in today’s Church".
In Timor Leste the Kolping Organization is named Obra Kolping Baucau and it is an active organization under Kolping International, domiciled in Timor-Leste, established and performing its activity since 2002. Following the main principles and core values of the Founder, Adolph Kolping, our organization is devoted to serving the community, fulfill their needs include in physical and spiritual needs, community development and offering them skill and knowledge in the specific areas they dedicate. We strive to increase the standard of living and trust of people in the Catholic Church by increasing civic awareness and increasing social responsibility in each individual for the common good. Obra Kolping Baucau gathers 620 active members, who are involved in the work of the organization through engagement in Kolping families.