God had intended the good word to be spread for the betterment of humanity. To do the good deed, the Divine Word Missionaries, labours in countries around the world bringing hope and peace to one and all. Founded in 1875 by St Arnold Janssen, The Society of the Divine Word (SVD - Societas Verbi Divini), popularly called Divine Word Missionaries, is an international congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who primarily work where the gospel has not yet been preached or preached insufficiently and where the local Church is not yet viable on her own.

Today more than 6,000 SVD missionaries work in over 76 countries across the world. The Society of the Divine Word is the only major congregation of religious men which has increased in numbers over the last 30 years.

Global News

Archbishop critical of cut-backs targeting sick and elderly
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has appealed to parishes and communities to respond to the care needs of the sick and elderly who have been targeted by Government cutbacks in the social ....
New Knock PP appointed
Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam has named Fr Richard Gibbons as the new parish priest of Knock, following the recent sudden death of Monsignor Joseph Quinn.  Fr Gibbons, who is 43, has been ....
Welsh Church leaders experss concern over organ donation
The donation of human organs after death is a gift and should not be changed to presumed consent. This is according to the leaders of the Catholic Church in Wales, the Church in Wales and the ....

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The Divine Word link is the newsletter of the Irish British Province.


For more than 30 years Kairos has functioned as a media production and training facility. As well as


Born in 1837 in Goch, Germany, young Arnold Janssen was ordained to the priesthood in 1861 at Münster diocese. He was the editor of Little Messenger of the Heart of Jesus for many years. On 8th September 1875, he opened the first SVD mission house in Steyl.

His missionary zeal came to fore when in 1874, he got permission to open mission house in diocese of Roermond, Ho


Joseph Freinademetz was svd's first missionary to China. born on April 15, 1852, in Oies, a small hamlet of five houses situated in the Dolomite Alps of northern Italy. The region, known as South Tyrol, was then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. He was baptised on the day he was born, and he inherited from his family a simple but tenacious faith.

While Joseph was studyin
The Divine Word School of English offers English courses on regular basis. Courses are open to Religious, Diocesan Cler
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