Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Amérique
| Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of America | |
 | |
| Merged into | Catholic Financial Life (1991) |
|---|---|
| Established | 26 February 1899, de facto 7 May 1900, official |
| Location |
|
Area served | United States of America |
| Archives and cultural documents donated to Assumption College, 2007-2013 | |
The Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Amérique (USJB), also referred to by its member organizations as the Société de Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Amérique (lit. "Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of America"), was a Franco-American benefit society first organized in 1899 when the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of Holyoke invited several other so-named independent organizations to form a national committee. Its first meeting was held on February 26, 1899; in the following year its first national congress was held on March 27, 1900, and the national organization was officially incorporated on May 7, 1900 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.[1] While L'Union was primarily formed for the purpose of creating sick, disability, and death funds for American French-speaking Catholics, the organization would also provide scholarships, civic education, and held cultural events including celebrations on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, parades, culinary and musical events, including French opera performances.[2] Following a period of decline, the organization's mutual functions were merged with Catholic Financial Life in 1991.[3][4]
References
- ^ "L'Union St. Jean Baptiste d'Amerique". Worcester Magazine. Vol. XVIII. Worcester Chamber of Commerce; Belisle Printing & Publishing. 1915. pp. 184–185.
- ^ "Nearly 5000 in Line in Colorful Holyoke Parade". Springfield Republican. Springfield, Mass. October 13, 1925. p. 5.
- ^ "About Us". Saint-Jean-Baptiste Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on April 23, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
- ^ Marie Louise Bonier; Raymond H. Bacon (1997). The beginnings of the Franco-American colony in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Assumption College Insitut Français. p. 552.
The Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste reached its high point in 1953 with 80,000 members. It was down to under 40,000 when it merged in 1991, for reasons of fiscal stability, with Catholic Family Life Insurance Company
External links
- Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste Collection, Assumption College
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