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Kolping Banner
Official Publication of the Catholic Kolping Society of America
Vol. 90 – No. 5
June 2015
International
Kolping International now on Smartphone
For many, the mobile phone has become
indispensable for everyday life. Many
even have a smartphone and surf the
internet with it, read their e-mails and
inform themselves about the current
news. With Apps, the telephone turns
into a real jack-of-all-trades. KOLPING
INTERNATIONAL also provides the
users of an iPhone or mobile phones
with the Android operating system the
opportunity to inform themselves quickly
and comfortably about the activities in
the international Kolping world. Twice
or three times a week, up-to-date reports
about campaigns and initiatives from
Asia, Africa, Latin America, the USA, and
Europe are entered on the mobile phone.
In addition, there are interesting videos
and pictures that describe what moves
Kolping Families around the world and
what they are setting in motion. The app
can be downloaded easily and free of
charge from the telephone store.
International
Conference for and with Brazil
The partnership work between European
and Brazilian Kolping Families is the
origin of the history of KOLPING
INTERNATIONAL. Today, the country
that occupies almost half of Latin America
catches a lot of media attention because it
hosted the FIFA Soccer World Cup, soon
to be followed by the Olympic Games.
The Kolping Society of Brazil, however,
continues to work for the people who do
not attract attention but are most often
marginalized by society. Many of the over
200 million Brazilians are living under
most difficult conditions. The partners
from Europe aim to help changing
that. The decades-long partnerships
have become friendships between
Kolping Families and Kolping groups.
The enthusiasm, with which Kolping
sisters and brothers commit themselves
for the specific needs of the people, is
impressive. During a conference, Brazil’s
partners exchanged experiences and
discussed plans for the coming months.
Represented were committed people
from the Diocesan Kolping Societies
of Limburg, Hildesheim, Regensburg,
Fulda, Speyer, and Essen. Kolping
Austria was represented by Wolfgang
Engelmaier. A video circuit allowed
greetings to be exchanged with the Board
and the staff of the National Head Office
in Sao Paulo. Thus the foundation for
further fruitful collaboration was laid
jointly at the Head Office in Cologne.
Europe
East-East
Learning:
promoting
communication, co-operation, and
solidarity
Learning from each other and encounter
are integral parts of the self-image of
the International Kolping Society. The
experiences from comparable country
contexts are important, in order to
avoid a constant “reinvention of the
wheel”. Such encounters complement
the classic partnerships between
Diocesan Kolping Societies in Western
Europe, who have a long tradition, and
National Kolping Societies with a shorter
history. KOLPING INTERNATIONAL
therefore initiated an encounter of Poles
and Serbs in Krakow in March this year.
The exposure and dialogue program
offered many opportunities for collegial
consultation. The guests from Serbia used
their stay to gain insight into the many-
facetted Kolping practices in Poland and
to reflect on their own approaches. The
group consisted of Anna Lediel, the
President of Kolping Serbia, and Brgita
Keri, the President of the Kolping Family
Sajan, along with two full-time staff
members from the Head Office, who are
responsible for the implementation of the
BMZ project.
The Poles, themselves recipients of
development aid funds from the German
Government until 2004, inspired the four
representatives from Serbia with reports
about daily routine of fundraising and
many other successful activities within
Kolping Poland. In closing, everyone
agreed that the development of East-East
bridges is an important contribution to
the future of the Kolping Societies in
Central and Eastern Europe.
Germany
Refugees are received in the Diocesan
Kolping Society of Paderborn
The Kolping Training Facility
Paderborn has been providing central
accommodations for over a year, first in
Nieheim and now in Bad Driburg. There
between 300 and 350 refugees find an
initial place, where they can have some
rest after suffering so many hardships.
They are mostly young men between 20
and 30 years of age, as well as families
with children. The objective of Michael
Wöstemeyer, manager of the refugee
facilities, is to treat the new-comers
in a family-like way. People, who had
often been fleeing for weeks, are to get a
secure home. However, already no more
than three weeks later, they are being
Continued on page 8
In the Banner this Month:
From the President’s Desk . . . page 2
A Praeses Proclaims . . . . . . . . page 3
2 Kolping Banner
Kolping Banner
The Kolping Banner, published monthly, is the
official newsletter of the Catholic Kolping Society
of America.
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all back issues $2.50 including first class postage.
Send subscription requests with check,
materials for publication, and address changes by
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Catholic Kolping Society
of America
Mission Statement:
We, the members of the Catholic Kolping
Society of America, extend the vision of our
founder, Blessed Adolph Kolping, by promoting
the development of the individual and family;
we foster a sense of belonging and friendship
through our program of spiritual, educational,
charitable and social activities.
Episcopal Moderator:
Bishop John M. Quinn
National Officers:
Praeses, Fr. Engelbert Michel
Associate Praeses
President, Bernhard Preisser
Vice President, Walter Amrein
Secretary, Helene Schrand
Treasurer, Ted Wilke
Trustees Lisa Brinkmann
Betty Amrein
Robert Mayer
John Reitter
Marilee Uhlhorn
Kolping Family Locations:
Brooklyn Kolping Family, 6504 Myrtle Ave.,
Glendale, NY, 11385-6250, 718-456-7727
Buffalo, New York Kolping Family, 1145 Cleveland
Drive, Buffalo, NY 14225-1257, 716-632-7360
Chicago Kolping Family, 5826 N. Elston Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60646-5544, 773-792-2190
Cincinnati Kolping Family, 10235 Mill Rd.,
Cincinnati, OH, 45231-1924, 513-851-7951
Detroit Kolping Family, 24409 Jefferson Ave., Saint
Clair Shores, MI, 48080-1318, 586-775-9159
Glendale Kolping, Holy Family Church,
209 East Lomita Avenue, Glendale, CA 91205,
818-720-1124
Los Angeles Kolping Family, 1225 S. Union Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA, 90015-2021, 213-388-9438
New York Kolping Family, 165 E. 88th St., New
York, NY 10128-2241, 212-369-6647
Philadelphia Kolping Family, PO Box 52651,
Philadelphia, PA, 19115, 215-676-8977
Panorama Kolping, St. Genevieve Parish, 14061
Roscoe Blvd., Panorama City, CA 92402,
818-968-2526
Rochester, New York Kolping Family, 284 Malden
Street, Rochester, NY 14615-2658,
Saint Louis, Missouri, 4035 Keokuk St., Saint Louis,
MO, 63116-3513, 314-776-5312
San Francisco Kolping Family, 440 Taraval Street,
San Francisco, CA, 94116-2530, 415-831-3989
For more information about the Catholic Kolping
Society of America, becoming a member, or establishing
a Kolping family in your parish or community, please
contact the Catholic Kolping Society of America, P. O.
Box 4907, Clifton, NJ, 07015-4907, Telephone: 1-877659-7237, e-mail: [email protected].
Please visit the Catholic Kolping Society
of America internet website at:
http://www.kolping.org.
June 2015
From the President’s Desk . . .
Education
Pope Francis and the recently assembled Catholic
Bishops released a preliminary document calling for the
Church to welcome and accept gay people, unmarried
couples and those who have divorced as well as the
children of those less traditional families. How would
your relationship with the Church change if these modifications were
adopted?
This question was the topic for the NY scholarship contest open to the
children or grandchildren of NY Kolping members. My wife, Christina,
came up with the topic and the more I thought about it the more I realized
it is a question we will all have to answer as the Catholic Church responds
to the ideas of Pope Francis. We as members of the church realize that
things do change and we need to accept change as part of life. We have
seen numerous things in the Church evolve and many of us, I’m sure, still
remember our memorized answers to many questions in the Baltimore
Catechism. Then we experienced the much needed modifications and the
freedoms introduced by Vatican II. Now we have a Pontiff who seems
open to important transformations and more accepting of the adjustments
that may be needed in our new era.
It seems to me that Fr. Kolping in his time saw change as Karl Marx
preached the Communist Manifesto and the industrial revolution was
sweeping Europe and ending many traditional roles and customs. Fr.
Kolping always preached that the times will tell you the need that has to
be addressed. He established home for workers to safely live in. I believe
Kolping America can have a role in educating people. The lack of available
education for Catholics to learn about their faith is apparent. Hearing a
sermon on Sunday is really not sufficient for most of us. Perhaps Kolping
families can host lectures on a topic such as explaining the document
issued by Pope Francis that is quoted above. Kolping families have space
to accommodate the people. Why not use it for a Catholic educational
experience?
True to Kolping!
Bernhard Preisser
Please Remember To Pray For All Our Dear Departed
Members Who Have Gone To Their Eternal Rest
Cincinnati
Raymond Shively
St. Louis
Edna Eichorn
Los Angeles
Horst Helmbold
Frank Scuito
Kolping Banner 3
June 2015
A PRAESES PROCLAIMS...
THE MONTH OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER
By Msgr. John W. Zeitler
Praeses of the Buffalo Kolping Society
We can be grateful to God for many
things, as a matter of fact, for all things.
But this Spring I especially thank God,
creator of all things, author of life,
for the month of May. Along with so
many others, we of Western New York
experienced the cold, no frigid sub-zero
winter temperatures, unrelenting lakeeffect snow. In everyday terms, it was
a long winter. But figuring out how
to carry on in the face of hazardous
environmental challenges is a WNY
thing. Likewise, Buffalo Kolping Family
activities continued to be enjoyed by
warm hearts sharing the prayer of our
calling.
God’s beauty bursts forth in the month
of May. An array of nature’s presence
is pleasing to all the senses as perhaps
described in Gerard Manley Hopkin’s
poem, Pied Beauty, “He fathers forth
whose beauty is past change: praise
Him.” The natural beauty around
us reflects and, we find, has a more
fulfilling meaning when pondering the
church’s May liturgies: Jesus’ inspiring
discourse in the Johannie gospel, the
special celebrations of the Ascension
of the Lord, and Pentecost that brings
the Easter season to a close. The
month long journey concludes with the
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.
Set within the context of the lengthy
Last Supper farewell address, Jesus
instructs his disciples about their
intimate relationship with Him and His
father in the image of the vine and the
branches. Over and over again in the
Old Testament Israel is pictured as the
vine and the vineyard of God, however,
in a negative way. Now Jesus calls
himself the true vine, “I am the vine and
you are the branches. Whoever remains
in me and I in him will bear much
fruit, because without me you can do
nothing.” It is the last and only parable
in his farewell discourse, and therefore,
the most promising lesson for leading the
Christian way of life.
Given the urgency to keep moving, to
do everything faster as demanded by
modern society, we are asked to put into
practice the heart of Jesus’ message that
we hear on the fifth Sunday of Easter
spotlighted by the word ”remain.” Like
the ringing of a church bell, “remain” is
heard thirteen times. Jesus emphasizes
consistent fidelity, not a hot and cold
feeling, while He, Himself feeds us with
his unceasing love.
The gospels of the following Sundays
build on the theme of the vine and the
branches. Jesus prays to the Holy Father
that he protect His disciples, whom
He now calls His “friends,” perhaps
referring to the intimacy alluded to in
the parable. “Consecrate them in the
truth,” He says, that is sanctify them in
Jesus, because He, the Word of God, is
the truth.
Simple everyday
words of encouragement
and random acts of
kindness are one way to
spread the Good News
within our means.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day, a day
on which we shower our mothers with
gratitude and love, Jesus’ words of
intimate love and truth touch on the
essence of Motherhood—those precious
gifts all mothers share with their
children, love, the human bond that can
never be denied; truth, God’s guiding
grace assuring their children of a holy
and happy life.
Jesus concludes his discourse with the
Priestly Prayer over the disciples. He
already instructed them on how to
handle the challenges they will face
in the world, that is, human society
managing without God. Jesus asks His
Father to consecrate them in the truth
while praying over them. After He sends
them on their mission Jesus returns to
the Father which we celebrate on the
Solemnity of Our Lord’s Ascension.
The gentle blossoming of May, the
Month of Our Blessed Mother, coupled
with the peace Jesus bestows in the
gospel narrations throughout the
Easter season end in a grand finale on
Pentecost. It was on Pentecost that Jesus
sent out His disciples. They carried
no baggage, only empowerment to
perform miraculous acts, when Jesus
breathed on them. Like a fanfare wind
and fire kicked off the disciples’ mission
to proclaim the gospel and be God’s
witnesses to the ends of the earth. On
Pentecost the Holy Spirit ignited a
passionate zeal and the message of God’s
love that spread like wild fire.
Imbued with these same gifts by virtue of
our baptism and sacraments received in
the God’s Church, we cannot afford to
be lax about sharing the joy of the Good
News with others. The courageous
perseverance of Missionaries, both
past and present who interact with
people of all races, colors and religions
without regard to their economic status
are admirable models for all Christ’s
followers to live. We need not think
in grandiose terms or be telescopic
Christians. Simple everyday words of
encouragement and random acts of
kindness are one way to spread the Good
News within our means. Memorial
Day offers us the perfect opportunity
to start now and be public witnesses,
evangelizers by open and sincere prayer
for all who died in military service.
The growth and omnipresence of our
Kolping Family around the world are an
impressive example of evangelism caught
fire. Pope Francis, our shepherd, leads
us with enthusiasm exhorts us to reach
out and open the door to God’s grace.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
on the last day of May honors the
mystery of our Triune God, the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, a relationship
bonded by love, the divine pattern to
be imitated. Paraphrasing a quote
of Teilhard DeChardin sums up our
thoughts, “Once we have harnessed the
forces of nature, we will unleash love,
and for the second time in the history of
man we will have discovered fire.”
4 Kolping Banner
June 2015
Cincinnati’s 90th Anniversary Celebration
Tom Musbach introduced dignitaries and all former
Schützenfest kings and queens and presidents of the
Society. We were very happy to have Frank Fon,
National Kolping Trustee from Chicago Kolping, and his
lovely wife Kathryn, as well as Herb and Roz Seubert,
the last Schützenfest King and Queen from Detroit
Kolping, as our special guests. We had thirty-four years
of Schützenfest kings and queens attending the event,
ranging from 1951 to our current King and Queen, Joe
and Cherise Hammons.
One side of the Kolping Hall at the beginning of the 90th
Anniversary Celebration on April 11, 2015.
Photo courtesy of Waltz Photography, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Saturday, April 11, 2015, will go down in Cincinnati
Kolping history as a most memorable evening. We had a
sell-out crowd of 550 for a served dinner. Unfortunately,
there was no room for those on the waiting list. The hall
was just gorgeous with fresh flowers, table linens and
china.
The evening began at 4:00 P.M. for cocktails and
appetizers, while everyone enjoyed the history display
and the slide show of nearly 800 photos from Cincinnati
Kolping’s history. Master of Ceremonies, Tom Musbach,
opened the program by introducing the Boy Scouts of
America and Knights of Columbus to begin the opening
flag ceremony. Brian Griffin, Chairman of the 90th
Anniversary Committee, led everyone in the American
and German anthems. Then it was time to listen to the
melodious voices of the Kolping Sängerchor, followed by
the opening prayer by Fr. Jeff Scheeler, OFM, Provincial
of St. John the Baptist Province. Following the prayer,
a delicious meal was served by volunteers, many of
our young people and the food masters at Cincinnati
Catering, led by members Beth Hoffman and Amy
Ahrnsen.
After a short greeting by our President, Walt Amrein,
Dinnertime at the 90th Anniversary Celebration.
Photo courtesy of Waltz Photography, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Then came the never ending (or so it seemed) speeches
by Nancy and Mike Pelzel. Nancy gave a brief history
of Cincinnati Kolping, accentuating the themes of the
importance of the individual, of Christian values, and
the sense of charity, community, family and tradition,
which coincidentally have to do with the ideals of Father
Flag Ceremony with the Knights of Columbus and the
Boy Scouts of America.
Photo courtesy of Waltz Photography, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Adolf Kolping. Mike’s speech involved introducing the
“special guests”. These people were the 205 children and
grandchildren of our founders, kings, queens, presidents
and others who laid the foundation for the Society in the
1920s and 1930s.
Next, Father Jeff Scheeler gave a talk on the connection
between the Franciscan Fathers and the Kolping Society,
and our Praeses, Father Bruno, ended the program with
his words of wisdom and a closing prayer. The program
then concluded with long time member, Otger Kappen,
leading everyone in the Kolping song. Then the group
photo sessions started. The photographer who was
hired to document the evening produced 210 wonderful
pictures, including group shots of the children of the
founders, children of the early kings and queens, and
children of other early members. There were twentyseven former kings and twenty-nine former queens in
attendance. Group photos of these good people were also
taken. Around 8:00 P.M., the evening continued with
dancing accompanied by the Pete Wagner Band, and
Kolping Banner 5
June 2015
The Kolping Sängerchor, led by Carolann Slouffman, performing
at the 90th Anniversary Celebration.
Photo courtesy of Waltz Photography, Cincinnati, Ohio.
then we all had a special treat with the performance of
the Enzian Dancers, a German folk-dancing group who
performed many of the traditional Bavarian dances in
their Dirndls and Lederhosen.
It took days after the event to put everything back in its
place and to machine wash more than 3000 pieces of
china, as well as an equal number of utensils. What a
job!
We’d like to thank the multitude of volunteers and the
members of the 90th Anniversary Planning Committee
who made this such a memorable event. Special thanks
to Brian Griffin who chaired the committee and led the
national anthems; to Rita Musbach and her crew who
made the gorgeous floral arrangements that decorated
our hall; to Mike and Trey Seibel and their crew, who
were in charge of set- up and tear-down for the event,
Schützenfest Kings
Front Row, L to R: Heinz Meyerrose, Allen Cliffe,
Bill Lunnemann, Harry Schwabe, Charlie Zix, Joe Hammons,
Erwin Dobler, John Olding, Karl Von Den Benken
Back Row, L to R: Mike Brakers, George Ostendorf,
Heinz Kalkhoff, Paul Boehm, Pat Whalen, Vince Meyer,
Gus Schroeder, Theo Leuker, Richard Ellensohn, Bob Geoppinger,
Kevin Luther, Trey Seibel, Jim Gieringer
Missing: Ben Albers, Ben Geers, Gary Gerdes, Henry Sieverding,
Jim Slouffman
as well as bartending; to Jim Stukenborg who was in
charge of publicity; to Barb Hessler who handled all the
ads for the special commemorative booklet for all the
participants; to Jim Slouffman and Anna Stukenborg,
who prepared the history display; to the Sängerchor
members who added the beautiful sound of German
songs to the program; to the Knights of Columbus
and the Boy Scouts of America for their beautiful flag
ceremony; to Doris Wilke who took the reservations and
made sure everyone found their tables; to Tom Musbach
who so capably handled the emceeing responsibilities
of the evening; to Beth Hoffman and Amy Ahrnsen and
their crew, and to the Cincinnati Catering employees who
volunteered their time, for the food preparation, serving
and clean-up; to the Enzian Dancers who shared their
talented dancing with us; to the Tuesday Workers who
helped with tasks before and after the event; to Father
Bruno and Father Scheeler who shared their inspirational
messages with us; to Walt Amrein for his welcome
speech; and to Gene Bertke, Manfred and Regina
Schnetzer, and Werner Wilke, who as “old-timers”,
helped the committee to stay on track in planning the
event. Whew! It certainly takes a village, doesn’t it? And
to all of the many other people who volunteered their
time and efforts for such a beautiful evening. Lastly, a big
THANK YOU to all of those members and guests who
participated and made the night more special.
Just think, in another ten years, we’ll have to do it all
over again, only even bigger and better, for our 100th
anniversary!
Mike and Nancy Pelzel
Schützenfest Queens
Front Row, L to R: Christa Olding, Phyllis Lunnemann,
Joan Rehling, Helen Zix, Cherise Hammons, Carol Cliffe,
Maria Von Den Benken, Bev Meyer, Gerry Kreutzjans
Back Row, L to R: Cathy Brakers, Ann Gerbus, Christel Leuker,
Margie Meyerrose, Irene Whalen, Clara Ostendorf,
Carol Kalkhoff, Gert Schroeder, Donna Boehm, Joann Dobler,
Sally Gieringer, Teri Luther, Cathy Weissmann, Annamarie
Geoppinger, Nancy Ellensohn, Sylvia Dobler Nadler
Missing: Regina Albers, Magda Geers, Thelma Sieverding,
Carolann Slouffman, Margaret Borchers
Photo courtesy of Waltz Photography, Cincinnati, Ohio.
6 Kolping Banner
June 2015
BROOKLYN REPORTS
BROOKLYN REPORTS Greetings from
the Brooklyn Kolping Family. It has
been some time since you heard from
us, and when organizing thoughts for
this article I realized just how busy we
have been in our Kolping Branch.
I mentioned in my last report that our
100 year old building seemed to need
our attention in 2014. The biggest
project was completed in early autumn,
the replacement of our roof which was
giving us some problems. We enjoyed
some lovely warm sunny weather when
the work was being done. This ended
abruptly-the job got finished just in time
before the cold weather arrived! Our
member Alice Kokasch donated her
time to stay at the Center while the roof
was being installed, and we appreciate
her dedication.
We got together at the Center on
October Sunday, October 26th for the
Kolping World Day of Prayer and our
All Soul’s Day Observance. We held
the gathering in our meeting room
which was perfect for an intimate
group. We set up a buffet luncheon
for the members to enjoy before
our talk and put everyone in a good
mood. President Bill Conte opened
the meeting and led us through a
short talk about the Kolping Society
in Chile with information supplied by
the International Office. Then our Vice
President Evelyn Blatz reflected on
the many souls Brooklyn Kolping has
lost over the years, and we especially
remembered Artie Blenkle who we lost
in June of 2014. We were also honored
to welcome two new members into the
Society that day, Theresa and Steven
Wiederhold. They are not strangers
to us—Theresa’s parents are longtime
members Alice and Franz Kokasch,
so we have gotten to know them and
watch their kids grow up over the years.
We concluded with the Kolping Song,
something we have not done for a while
and we were all pretty rusty. Meeting
concluded, we lingered over coffee, cake
and conversation.
Our next big event was our Kolping
Mass and Christmas Party on December
6”‘. Our small committee began
meeting about this party in midOctober, and our careful planning paid
off when we welcomed 100 adults and
30 children to the Center on Saturday,
December 6. We started the evening off
with a 5PM Mass held at the Center.
table raffles. We thank everyone who
attended, and all those who helped
along at this event (too many to list
here).
Our good friend Father Jim Reynolds
was gracious enough to come and
celebrate for us. As usual Father Jim
was able to convey a powerful spiritual
message in his brief and entertaining
homily. Karl Werkmann led us in song
and his strong voice always makes
it extra special. At the conclusion of
the Mass we rearranged the furniture
to enjoy dinner and the party. We
were lucky that many of our guests
got involved and helped in various
ways, keeping things moving. We were
entertained by Glendale’s own Candy,
The Balloon Twister, with an assist
from Mr. Candy. The children enjoyed
the entertainment and were very well
behaved. We had our sing-along and
when we sang “Must Be Santa!” as
loud as we could Santa Claus appearedwith helpers. He had brought a small
gift for each child all the way from the
North Pole, and the children were all
very happy to assure Santa they had
been good all year long! Our guests
were not only helpful, but they showed
their generosity for our 50/50 and
Our New York City local community
suffered a loss on December 20 when
two New York City Police Officers,
Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, were
senselessly murdered in nearby BedfordStuyvesant. This occurred just a few
miles down Myrtle Avenue from where
our Kolping Center is situated and the
effect was felt throughout our city. The
story received national attention, but
it came very close to home on the day
of Police Officer Ramos’ funeral. He
was an active member of the Christ
Tabernacle Church which is located
in a former movie theater on the
next block from our Kolping Center.
Many dignitaries attended the funeral,
including the Mayor of New York City,
the Governor of New York State and
the Vice President of the United States.
Thousands of police officers lined up on
Myrtle Avenue and other nearby streets
to pay their respects—it was a sea of
blue. We were asked to allow the police
full access to the Kolping Center and its
roof to provide security. We were very
happy to oblige and to play a very small
part in the moving tribute that took
place right outside our Kolping Center.
Condolences to the families and may
both these officers rest in peace.
We have been praying to Blessed
Adolph Kolping to guide us as we
build up and grow our Brooklyn
Kolping Family. As 2014 ended we
were happy that Fr. Kolping sent us
seven new members in 2014, three of
them married couples. We are hoping
to be able to welcome more new (and
hopefully dedicated) members in 2015.
Best wishes to everyone from our
Kolping Family!
-Bill Conte
Kolping Banner 7
June 2015
THE NATIONAL
PRAESES SPEAKS
by: Rev. Engelbert Michel
National Praeses and Praeses
of the Philadelphia Kolping Society
Already we are entering into the Vacation Season.
Summer always offers us extra time toenjoy ourselves,
certainly with family gatherings and picnics, but also
with Kolping Society Picnics. Here in Philadelphia we
have scheduled a few such gatherings and in the newsletters from many of our
other USA Kolping Families, I see that they are all planning to share time, games
and food together. Keep it going! The best way to keep our Kolping Families
growing and active is to offer these opportunities to get to know one another
better.
My last letter to all of you appeared in the April BANNER. What was interesting
was that I mentioned that we should think about joining together each Lent
by contributing money we saved by our Lenten Sacrifices and then send it to
International Kolping to support the struggling Kolping Families growing up in
poor areas of Africa and South America. As I wrote the article I was not aware of
the letter General Praeses Msgr. Dillenburg and General Secretary Markus Demele
had sent to Bernie Preisser our National President of Kolping USA. But as you
may have read in the same April issue of the BANNER they expressed the hope
that our USA Kolping Societies would work together once or twice a year to raise
funds for the support of Kolping Families recently formed in those poor countries.
By our support, we would show that we truly share Father Kolping’s desire to
reach out and help those struggling for a better family life. May Father Kolping
inspire us.
Treu Kolping
National
Endowment
Fund
The National Endowment
Fund received the following
contributions for the months
of March15, 2015 to
May 15, 2015
Donation – New York Kolping
Society $3,000
Donation – San Francisco
Kolping Society $750
Keep praying for the Brooklyn
Kolping Family. Starting to
see small baby step results.
William Conte,
Brooklyn Kolping
In Memory of Chuck O’Neil,
deceased member of the
Detroit Kolping Society
Gary and Mary Frances
Dolland, Detroit Kolping
Karl and Anita Wuerzinger,
Detroit Kolping
Patricia Farkas, New York
Kolping
Kolping Society
National Endowment Fund
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
whose hope is also founded on Him.
Jeremiah 17:7
Happy Father’s Day
From the Editor and Staff of the Kolping Banner
c/o Lisa Brinkmann
311 Greene Street
Mill Valley, CA 94941-4132
CATHOLIC KOLPING SOCIETY
Of America
P.O. Box 4907
Clifton, NJ 07015-4907
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Cincinnati, OH
Permit No. 1474
Address Service Requested
Dated
Material
Continued from page 1
distributed to the municipalities. There,
support can also be given by organizations
and individuals. Approaches include,
for instance, participation in “round
table” conferences, help in dealing with
administrative formalities, games and
fun for children and families, language
courses, assistance in finding affordable
usedclothing stores, as well as invitations
to church services. Here, Kolping is once
again very close to the people who need
our help the most.
of food, blankets, as well as tools, so that
those affected can repair their homes
at least provisionally. The collaboration
with the parishes ensures that things get
distributed fairly. It is not the first time
that Kolping Chile participates in relief
actions following natural catastrophes.
The last time was the participation in the
aftermath of the devastating earth quake
in 2010.
Chile
The Philippines
Relief for flood victims
Occupational training as help for the
future
A devastating flood has swept over the
regions of Atacama and Antofagasta in
Chile. Exceptionally heavy rains over
regions with hardly any vegetation have
caused major flooding and landslides,
affecting nearly 30,000 people. The
Kolping Youth of Chile helps. In
collaboration with parishes, the young
people are participating in the distribution
Occupational training courses for young
people have a good tradition in the
Kolping Society of the Philippines. Over
the years, the design and the sequence of
the courses have always been adapted to
the circumstances and the needs of the
country. The demand for kitchen and
bakery workers remains high. Men and
women who have cooking and baking skills
for restaurants and commercial kitchens
always find a job and can therefore plan
better for their future. Over the course
of the training, many of the participants
develop so much entrepreneurial spirit
that they can even start a business of their
own. Many have thereby created new jobs
in their own restaurants.
As it is usual in Kolping, the young people
learn not only to master their trade; along
with the handling of food items and
hygiene standards, personal virtues such
as punctuality and diligence also play a
role. Kolping takes a look at the whole
person and encourages the participants
to take responsibility themselves for their
society. A good job and/or a lucrative
independence are important foundations
for this. The Kolping Society of The
Philippines benefits especially from the
partnership with the Diocesan Kolping
Society of Osnabrück and the support from
the Ministry of Economic Co-operation
and Development through KOLPING
INTERNATIONAL.