Society of Divine Word marks 150th anniversary
September 09, 2025
» Continue to this story on Vatican News (Portuguese)
CWN Editor's Note: The Society of the Divine Word, founded by St. Arnold Janssen, marked its 150th anniversary on September 8.
“There is still room for mission,” the institute’s superior general, Father Anselmo Ricardo Ribeiro, said in an interview. “It’s true that in Europe, in the West, there is a distance, but people continue to ask themselves those questions that are ineradicable from the human heart and will always be there. This is a place for our missionary work, to be present to help people seek the meaning of life, which is in God.”
The Society of the Divine Word is among the largest male religious institutes, with 5,754 members from 79 countries. While it has declined from its peak membership of 6,131 in 2009, the institute has not experienced the draconian declines seen by some institutes, such as the Society of Jesus.
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