ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN DECEMBER
Saints celebrated on the 6th of December
BLESSED ADOLPH KOLPING, PRIEST
Blessed Adolph Kolping was born on December 8, 1813 in Kerpen as the fourth of five children to the poor shepherd Peter Kolping and his wife Anna Maria Zurheyden. He suffered from frail health during his childhood.
THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE WORKING CLASS
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 was 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.
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 (March 1844-1845).
ORDINATION
Bl. Adolph was ordained to the priesthood on April 13, 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. In 1847 he became the second president of the Gesellenverein 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. He united the existing associations as the "Rheinischer Gesellenbund" in 1850 - this fusion was the origin of the present international "Kolpingwerk".
THE RHINE REGION PEOPLE'S PAPER
In 1854 he founded the newspaper "Rheinische Volksblätter" (or the "Rhine Region People’s Paper") which became one of the most successful press organs of his time at a rapid pace and the first issue was published that April 1. 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 St Maria Empfängnis church. 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.
He died on December 4, 1865 from cancer; his remains are buried in the Minoritenkirche in Cologne. His feast is on December 6. Pope John Paul II visited his tomb in November 1980.
Information from Wikipedia - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Kolping
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Blessed Adolph may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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