Union of German Catholic Young Men

The Jünglingsverein (Union of German Catholic Young Men) was an organization active from 1890 to 1903. It was founded on July 5, 1890, at Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco (Logan County) and joined the national umbrella organization Centralbund der deutschen katholischen Jünglingsvereine von Nordamerika in 1894, at which time it changed its name to Subiaco-Jünglings-Union to avoid confusion with the Catholic Union of Arkansas.

Like the Catholic Union of Arkansas founded in the same year, the Union of German Catholic Young Men provided a church-sanctioned alternative to secret societies. Unlike the Catholic Union, which was affiliated with the national Central Union, the organization allowed clergy to serve in leadership roles, whereas the Central Union featured lay leadership to avoid Know-Nothing criticism of Roman Catholic groups. Indeed, the group’s constitution named the Subiaco abbot as Präses (guiding director); elected officers in the roles of president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer served under him.

The Benedictine Father Gall D’Aujourd’hui was active in both the Catholic Union and the Jünglingsverein and served as the first president of the latter. It seems likely that the Jünglingsverein was meant for younger men who would transition to the Catholic Union after they established careers and families, as parents, clergy, and community mentors were invited to yearly state meetings. It perhaps also was intended to have a recruiting function for religious vocations, as members had close contact with local clergy; the first meeting was attended by 115 youths and fifty “Ehrengäste” (honored guests).

Local chapters included parishes in Altus (Franklin County), Charleston (Franklin County), Conway (Faulkner County), Fort Smith (Sebastian County), Hartman (Johnson County), Little Rock (Pulaski County), Morrilton (Conway County), Morrison Bluff (Logan County), and St. Scholastica (Logan County). Membership cost ten cents, which was spent on postage and provided half of the costs of sending a delegate to the national convention. Meetings were also announced in the German-language newspaper Das Arkansas Echo.

The religious nature of the group is reflected in its constitution. The archangel Raphael was named as its patron, and it was prescribed to say five Our Father prayers for members who had died. Local meetings included a celebration of the Mass, toasts, songs, declamations, and music performances. Bishop Edward Fitzgerald attended the state meeting for several years.

As with many immigrant individuals and organizations, the group navigated a dual identity reflected in language. An 1892 discussion from the Jünglingsverein records reveals that some members who were descendants of the initial immigrants struggled with written and spoken German, as there was a debate over whether to continue singing religious songs in German. A Mr. Bärlocher spoke “ein warmes Wort für die liebe Muttersprache, die nur dadurch dem heranwachsenden Geschlechte erhalten bleibe, wenn sie in den Vereinen ausschliesslich gepflegt werde” (a warm word for the dear mother tongue, which would only be retained in the adolescent generation if it were exclusively preserved in German clubs). The group decided to retain the practice to help members with their language skills while also including the national anthem in English. However, this aspiration to preserve fluency in subsequent generations ultimately failed as German speakers assimilated.

For additional information:
“Erste Generalversammlung der deutschen katholischen Jünglingsvereine im Arkansas” (First General Meeting of the Unions of German Catholic Young Men in Arkansas). Unpublished manuscript, 1890. Subiaco Abbey Archive, Subiaco, Arkansas.

“Statuten des Centralvereins der deutschen katholischen Jünglinge des Staates Arkansas (Statutes of the Central Union of the German Catholic Young Men of the State of Arkansas).” Unpublished manuscript, n.d. (likely 1892 or 1893). Subiaco Abbey Archive, Subiaco, Arkansas.

“Vierte Generalversammlung der deutschen katholischen Jünglingsvereine im Arkansas” (Fourth General Meeting of the Unions of German Catholic Young Men in Arkansas).” Unpublished manuscript, 1893. Subiaco Abbey Archive, Subiaco, Arkansas.

Kathleen Condray
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville