Caspar Berens

(* April 24, 1836 in Kruberg; † May 16, 1912 in Rumbeck) was a Catholic clergyman, writer, poet of the Kolping song and president of the Kolping Society.

Berens was the son of a farmer. He attended elementary school in Rahrbach and graduated from the Laurentianum in Arnsberg. He studied theology and philosophy first in Münster and then in Paderborn. In 1860 he was ordained a priest by Bishop Konrad Martin. His first job was as a chaplain in the parish of St. Marien in Siegen. In 1860 he was transferred to Arnsberg as second chaplain. On May 17, 1870 he was appointed parish administrator in Rumbeck and in the same year was appointed pastor of the parish of St. Nikolaus.

During the Kulturkampf in the autumn of 1881 in Westphalia, the Catholic communities of Niedersfeld, Bigge, Assinghausen, Ramsbeck, Velmede, Meschede, Eversberg, Freienohl and Arnsberg were without priests. Only Ramsbeck was occupied by Berens, who had been a pastor there since 1870. There was the so-called pulpit paragraph, according to which clergy were forbidden to criticize public state affairs in a way that endangered public peace. This law was interpreted pettily by the state. In addition, the May and pulpit laws came into force, with which Berens came into conflict. He was charged with endangering the peace and had to serve an eight-day prison sentence in Wesel Fortress. As he could not pay the fees due for the court proceedings, his furniture was seized. However, no carter was found who was willing to bring the furniture to Arnsberg. So the authorities auctioned off Berens' first mass gift, a spring-lid clock. Friends made the highest bid and the watch went back to Berens. He was expelled from the vicarage and worked and lived in various private households for five years, earning no income during this time.

Kolping song

He wrote the "Kolping Song" in Arnsberg in 1865 and had it set to music based on an old folk tune. It is still sung today in all 24 countries where Kolping families exist. The title of the song is Father Kolping and begins "Once upon a time there was a good bachelor, long live him forever. His name rings so brightly so far." The song ends with the refrain "Long live Father Kolping!"

Source: Wikipedia