Items · Joseph Cardijn Digital Library · Joseph Cardijn Digital Library

Missionary Teams

A document prepared for the YCW Bureau meeting in Rome in November 1954

Jocist missionary teams

Guidelines for YCW missionary teams in Congo

Some guidelines for initial contacts with future jocist missionaries

Criteria and questions for evaluating and choosing candidates for jocist missionaries to Africa

Jocist organisation

This is an internal paper drafted by Cardijn to develop responses to various criticisms of the YCW movement and sent to his mentor Fr Arthur Vermeersch SJ.

Report on the YCW Service for the Unemployed 1933

A 1933 report by the Belgian JOC on its Service for the Unemployed

Report on the YCW Service for the Sick 1933

This is a 1933 report on the activities of the Belgian YCW's Service for the Sick

Joseph Cardijn - Arthur Vermeersch SJ 1933

Cardijn writes to Fr Arthur Vermeersch SJ to ask his advice on an internal paper he wrote seeking to present the YCW and to respond to critiques.

Fr Henri Caffarel was a French JOC chaplain who later founded the Equipes de Notre Dame (Teams of Our Lady). He served as a peritus at Vatican II. Pope Leo XIV declared him venerable on 23 March 2026.

The YCW, a movement that constantly needs to be re-imagined

Talk by Cardijn to Priests' Training Week organised by the Belgian JOC on the theme "We priests and the growing dechristianisation of working youth" '"Nous, prêtres et la Déchristianisation croissante de la jeunesse travailleuse) Namur, Belgium, December 1948.

Morizot, Bernard

Bernard Morizot was a French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service regime, where he continued to organise young workers, leading to his arrest and deportation to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. On 20 April 1945, he was shot on the evacuation route from the camp. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Euzenat, Henri

French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service system. He continued to organise young workers and was arrested and sent to Dachau and Mauthausen where he died on 25 April 1945. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Perriolat, Jean

Jean Perriolat was a French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service regime where he continued to organise workers, leading to his arrest and deportation to Mauthausen Concentration where he died. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Mestre, Jean

French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service regime where he continued to organise clandestine YCW groups for which he was arrested and sent to Waltendstet-Hallendorf Disciplinary Camp where he died. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Croci, Lucien

French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service system, where he continued to oragnise young workers, leading to his arrest and deportation to a series of concentration camps until his death on 27 March 1945. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Touquet, Marcel

French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service system, where he continued to organise young workers, leading to his arrest and deportation to a series of concentration camps. He died after 24 January 1945 and was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Dall’Oglio, Alfredo

Italian-born French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service system, where he continued to organise workers, leading to his arrest and deportation to and eventual death in a concentration camp. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Doumain, Louis

Canadian-born French priest, who was sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service regime, where he continued to serve workers, leading to his arrest and deportation to the Zoschen concentration camp, where he died. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Pourtois, Louis

French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Labour Service scheme, where he continued to organise Catholic Action groups, leading to his arrest and deportation to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp where he died. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Marrannes, Henri

French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Work Service scheme, where he continued to organise workers, leading to his arrest and deportation to Gotha Concentration Camp where he died. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Parsy, André

André Parsy was a French YCW leader, who was sent to Germany on Compulsory Labour Service. There he helped organised YCW teams leading to his arrest after which he was sent to Spergau Disciplinary Camp then to Zoschen. He died in hospital on 26 December 1944 and was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Ponsin, René

René Ponsin was a French YCW leader who was sent to Germany under the Compulsory Labour Service scheme. He started Catholic Action activities there and launched a Scout group, leading to his arrest. He was sent to Buchenwald Concentation Camp in February 1944 and died of a gunshot wound while on an evacuation march. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Grandet, Maurice

Maurice Grandet was a French YCW leader, who was sent to Germany under the Compulsory Labour Service scheme. There he organised young workers leading to his arrest after which he was sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp where he died on 12 October 1944. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Lemaire, Bernard

Bernard Lemaire was a French YCW leader, who was sent to Germany under the Compulsory Labour Service Scheme, where he organised young workers. He was eventually arrested and sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp where he died on 11 October 1944. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.

Salkahazi, Sara

Sara Salkahazi was a Slovak-born Hungarian sister, who helped launch the Girls YCW in Hungary. She was executed for her work hiding and saving Jewish refugees from capture by Nazi forces.

The YCW and its method - Testimony - IYCW International Council, Germany, 2016

This is a talk by François Houtart to the IYCW International Council in Germany in 2016. As he was unable to attend personally, the talk was delivered by video.

Joseph Cardijn - J.B. Jégo 12/07/1966

Letter to the author of a biography of martyred French YCW leader, Marcel Callo.

Tinturier, Jean

Born in Vierzon (Cher) on 20 February, 1921, Jean Tinturier was a seminarian, who trained as a mill operator in order to be sent to Germany to work with the compulsory labour service (STO) workers. He recruited Blessed Marcel Callo to his apostolic activities and was himself sent to Gotha concentration camp where he died on 16 March 1945, three days before Marcel.

Lépicier, Jean

Jean Lépicier was a JOC leader from Angers, who was called up for STO (forced labour service) in Germany in 1943. Arrested for his jocist activities in March 1944, he died at the Buchenwald concentration camp on 3 March 1945.

Priests' Day 10 July 2024

Meeting of 56 priests from various Walloon dioceses to discuss the proposed statutes of the Young Christian Workers and to plan its organisation.

Social formation by the YCW

Article by Cardijn's collaborator, Fr Joseph Arendt SJ, explaining the see-judge-do method.

The peace-making mission of Catholic Action

Cardijn's speech to the 1938 Congress of the Belgian Association of Catholic Youth (ACJB)

Tribute to Joseph Cardijn

Tribute to Joseph Cardijn by the Denis Hurley Centre on the 50th anniversary of Cardijn's death

The content of Catholic Action

Cardijn explains the concept of Specialised Catholic Action, particularly in relation to the lay apostolate and the YCW

The YCW

Quotation from French philosopher, Simone Weil

Cardijn - Chapter 15 - The last call

Episcopal Ministry. 1966: Gestures for Peace. The last dream. Collaborator of Paul VI. July 1967: The Last Call.

Villa, Betty

Philippines YCW leader, who became vice-president of the International YCW from 1961-64.

Pezzullo, Caroline

Caroline Pezzullo was a US YCW leader of the 1950s and 1960s, who went on to do extensive work in the field of world development.

Monnet, Marie Louise

Founder of the Jeunesse Indépendante Catholique Féminine in France and its adult counterpart, Action Catholique Indépendante.

Baers, Maria

Pioneer of the Flemish Christian Workers Movement, who collaborated with Cardijn in the establishment of the JOCF/VKAJ.

Joos, Marie-Thérèse

Leader of the Belgian JOCF who died very young

Fr Felix's call to the priesthood by Cardijn

Testimony on a meeting with Cardijn

Report on the VIIth World Council of the International IYCW

A report for the Brazilian National Bishops Conference (CNBB) in the wake of the split in the IYCW leading to the creation of the International Coordination of the YCW.

A word of introduction

Cardijn's introduction to the new chaplains' magazine for the JOC and JOCF

Joseph Cardijn - Arthur Vermeersch 24 11 1933

Cardijn replies to his former spiritual director, sharing some of his concerns regarding the rapid growth of the YCW movement.

Joseph Cardijn - Arthur Vermeersch 07 05 1921

Cardijn writes to his former spiritual director, who is also an expert in canon law and social issues requesting him to present a conference for the Catholic Social Youth's Social Week.

The YCW and the Council

Cardijn prepares a strategy document explaining how the YCW should advocate at the Second Vatican Council

The lay apostolate

Cardijn summarises his thoughts on the lay apostolate around the time of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

Philips, Gerard

Gerard Philips was a collaborator of Cardijn and the JOC from the early 1930s onwards. At Vatican II, he was the principal drafter of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium and collaborated extensively on Gaudium et Spes and other conciliar documents.

God raised up this man & All our time

Tribute to Cardijn recorded for his 1966 visit to Australia

Challenge to Action

The classic collection of key Cardijn articles