PSALM DAVID S.

PREA
REL. ED. 1 MWF 11:30 12:30

BSA V

THE LIFE OF ST. ARNOLD JANSSEN

Saint Arnold Janssen, S.V.D. (5 November 1837 15
January 1909) was a Roman Catholic priest and missionary who is
venerated as a saint. He founded the Society of the Divine Word, a
Roman Catholic missionary religious congregation, also known as
the Divine Word Missionaries, as well as two congregations for
women. In 1889 he founded in Steyl, Netherlands the Missionary
Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit and in 1896 at the same place
the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters. He was canonized on 5 October
2003, by Pope John Paul II.

Life and work

Janssen was born in Goch, in the Rhineland, Germany, not
far from the Dutch border, one of seven siblings. He developed a
deep, simple faith. His first school was the Catholic Augustinianum
High School in Gaesdonck, which is near his birthplace. He did his
college degree, then studied theology and was ordained to the priesthood on 15 August 1861.
For a while worked as a high school teacher in Bocholt, Germany, teaching physics and catechism. His real
passion, however, was the mission. In 1867 he became the director of the Apostolaat des Gebeds for Germany and
Austria and founded a scientific institute in Mdling, near Vienna. He also founded already in 1874 the German
language journal "Kleiner Herz-Jesu Bote" (Little Messenger of the Sacred Heart), which looked to enlist the faithful
in prayer and support for the mission.[1]
The Kulturkampf, however, hampered his efforts, and Janssen purchased land in Steyl, the Netherlands to
begin his seminary, dedicated in 1875 as the "St. Michael the Archangel Mission House". Within a few years, many
seminarians, priests and brothers were preparing for missionary service there, and the first two
missionaries, Joseph Freinademetz and John Anzer, were sent to China. Janssen also founded two congregations
of Religious Sisters: The Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (members known as "Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit") on 8
December 1889, and the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters ("Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration") on
8 September 1896.

Honors
In his hometown of Goch, the Arnold-Janssen-Church and the Arnold-Janssen-Community are named after
Saint Arnold. His birthplace can be visited in the Arnold-Janssen-Street.
The St. Arnold neighborhood in Neuenkirchen, Westphalia, has an Arnold-Janssen High School. It was
founded 1929 by his religious community, but since 1996 it has been administered by the Diocese of Mnster. The
Arnold-Janssen High School in Sankt Wendel, Saarland, is also named for him, as is the Arnold-JanssenHauptschule in Bocholt.

Sainthood
Janssen and Joseph Freinademetz, along with Daniele Comboni (an important missionary in Africa)
were canonised on 5 October 2003 by Pope John Paul II. Janssen was elevated to sainthood after the healing of

Pamela Avellanosa, a Filipina teenager living in Baguio who fell from a bike and was not expected to recover from
the resulting head injury. According to her relatives and the Church, she was healed miraculously following prayers
to Janssen.

Other Important Dates

November 5, 1837 Arnold Janssen is born in Goch, Germany.

1849 to 1861 A time of studies at the minor seminary at Gaesdonck, mathematics and natural sciences at
Bonn University, theological studies at Mnster.
August 15, 1861 Ordained a priest for the
Mnster Diocese.
1861 to 1873 High school teacher of
mathematics and natural sciences (Bocholt).
1869 Director of the Apostleship of Prayer in
Mnster.
1873 to 1875 Chaplain for the Ursulin
sisters in Kempen.
January 1874 Begins publishing the
magazine, Little Messenger of the Sacred
Heart.
September 8, 1875 Opens the Mission
seminary in Steyl, Netherlands.
1877 Opens the Mission House for retreats,
thus promoting the lay retreat movement.
March 2, 1879 Sends the first two
SVD missionaries to China, Fr. John
B. Anzer, SVD, and Fr. Joseph
Freinademetz, SVD.
December 8, 1889 Co-founds the
Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit.
December 1896 Co-founds the
cloistered sisters, Missionary Sisters
Servants of the Holy Spirit of
Perpetual Adoration.
1889 to 1909 Period of expansion of
missionary work to Argentina (1889);
Togo (1892); Brazil (1895); New
Guinea (1896); Chile (1900); U.S.A.
(1900); Japan (1906); Paraguay
(1908); Philippines (1909).
January 15, 1909 Arnold Janssen dies at
Steyl, Netherlands.
October 19, 1975 Arnold Janssen is beatified in Rome by Pope Paul VI.
October 5, 2003 Arnold Janssen is canonized by Pope John Paul II.

References

"Heilige Arnold Janssen stierf honderd jaar geleden". Roman Catholic Diocese of Roermond. Retrieved 16 July 2010.

http://www.svdcuria.info/public/histtrad/founders/founders.htm

http://www.worldssps.org/history_page/arnold_frameset.htm
http://www.svdvocations.org/Missionaries/History/St--Arnold-Janssen.aspx