Peter Cahensly
Encyclopedia
Peter Paul Cahensly a German merchant who lived in the Hessian town Limburg an der Lahn
. He was a member of the German Reichstag
and a wealthy lay officer of the Roman Catholic Church.
During 1866, Cahensly noted that German immigrants to America were vulnerable due to poverty or cultural isolation, and suggested to the Catholic Congress meeting at Trier
that a society should be established for the systematic protection of German emigrants at both the place of departure and the port of landing. He claimed that many were ending their relationship with Roman Catholicism, part of the problem being the domination of Roman Catholicism in America by English-speaking Irish clerics who were typically unsympathetic with the idea of preserving German culture among German immigrants, some of whom began attending German-speaking Lutheran congregations.
As a result of his urging, the Mainz
Katholikentag
of 1871 initiated the St. Raphaelsverein zum Schutz deutscher katholischer Auswanderer (de), an aid organization for German Catholic emigrants.
The activities of the St. Raphaelsverein resulted in increased controversy about "Americanism" of the Catholic Church in the United States. Cahensly also urged the reorganization of the church in the USA, particularly the formation of ethnicity-based parishes and the appointment of German bishops; such ideas were opposed by many of the Irish-American Catholic clergy.
When, during the 1920s, the Vatican administration urged the creation of an African-American seminary, the American hierarchy reacted strongly to what one bishop termed "African Cahenslyism"
.
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Limburg lies in western Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn....
. He was a member of the German Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
and a wealthy lay officer of the Roman Catholic Church.
During 1866, Cahensly noted that German immigrants to America were vulnerable due to poverty or cultural isolation, and suggested to the Catholic Congress meeting at Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
that a society should be established for the systematic protection of German emigrants at both the place of departure and the port of landing. He claimed that many were ending their relationship with Roman Catholicism, part of the problem being the domination of Roman Catholicism in America by English-speaking Irish clerics who were typically unsympathetic with the idea of preserving German culture among German immigrants, some of whom began attending German-speaking Lutheran congregations.
As a result of his urging, the Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
Katholikentag
Katholikentag
Katholikentag is a festival-like gathering in German-speaking countries organized by the Roman Catholic laity. Katholikentag festivals occur approximately every 2–4 years in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.-History:...
of 1871 initiated the St. Raphaelsverein zum Schutz deutscher katholischer Auswanderer (de), an aid organization for German Catholic emigrants.
The activities of the St. Raphaelsverein resulted in increased controversy about "Americanism" of the Catholic Church in the United States. Cahensly also urged the reorganization of the church in the USA, particularly the formation of ethnicity-based parishes and the appointment of German bishops; such ideas were opposed by many of the Irish-American Catholic clergy.
When, during the 1920s, the Vatican administration urged the creation of an African-American seminary, the American hierarchy reacted strongly to what one bishop termed "African Cahenslyism"
.