Born December 8, 1813, near Cologne, Germany, Adolph Kolping was the son of a shepherd.
As a young man, he was trained as a cobbler but decided he wanted to enter the priesthood. On April 13, 1845, Adolph was ordained.
Industrialization in 19th-century Germany brought single men into the cities for lucrative factory jobs. When young Fr. Kolping was assigned as a parish chaplain, he got to know many of these young journeymen workers, even providing them a home at the parish. He became active in an organization for journeymen, and eventually its leader.
On this day in, 1849, he founded the first Catholic journeymen's association. Today the international organization is known as the Catholic Kolping Society. This organization seeks to help its members, give Christian witness through their marriages, families, professions, and leisure activities for the betterment of culture, society and the Church.
Fr. Kolping died in 1865 in Cologne. He was beatified on October 27, 1991.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw