Venerable Anthony Kowalczk - July 10
Brother Antony Kowalczyk was born in Dzierzanów, Poland, on June 4, 1866. He was raised in the region of Silesia, Poland. Anthony, the sixth of twelve children, was chosen to train as a blacksmith, because it would enable him to find work in neighboring Germany.
On reaching working age in 1886, Anthony went to the ironworks of industrial Hamburg in Germany. It was a rough situation there, and he had to contend with constant provocation from some of his blasphemous and immoral co-workers. Anthony left Hamburg and headed for Germany’s western city of Cologne in the more Catholic Rhine region. On arrival, he went to pray twice at the tomb of Blessed Adolph Kolping (1813-1865), founder of an association for Catholic workers. On the outskirts of the city, he found what he longed for: a Catholic family that welcomed him. Mr. and Mrs. Prummenbaum not only gave him lodging but, as examples of righteousness, they also enlightened Anthony, and for this he was …More