Stop 7 - The SVD Missionaries

1875 - the German Kulturkampf ('culture struggle') rages and escalates further and further. The relationship between the state and the Catholic Church broke down and the Church was increasingly restricted in its aspirations. Priests were imprisoned, churches were expropriated and any new foundations of religious orders were strictly forbidden on German soil.

Arnold Janssen, however, saw the need for a missionary order and did not allow himself to be deterred by the new legislation and sanctions imposed by Otto von Bismarck, then Chancellor of the Reich.

And so he founded the first of three communities in Steyl in the Netherlands directly on the German border. The SVD Missionaries are also called the Society of the Divine Word.

At first, the new missionaries did not have much. Neither money, nor land, nor support. Only a simple inn, which gradually became today's mission house. This was thanks to the founder himself, who knew how to raise funds and attract attention and supporters for the mission, for example through publications.

If you look closely today, you can see different architectural styles in the building. The mission house was extended by building sections whenever money was available, and as the house grew, so did the community.

Only six priests lived in the initial community in Steyl. But it grew quickly. Currently it has grown into a worldwide religious community of priests and brothers with a total of 6000 confreres.

What's behind it all?

Growing

The example of the SVD Missionaries shows what can grow from a simple idea. At that time, Arnold Janssen wanted to tackle the problems of the universal church and saw the key to this in missionary work. His idea was to found a missionary order and to carry the message of Jesus into the world.

But how could this inspiration become a worldwide community with thousands of members, which is still active today in the most diverse pastoral and social areas?

For something to grow and develop, it must first be initiated and put into action. Countless ideas, possibilities and inspirations swirl through our minds. But hardly any of them are tackled. We often discard things, thinking they are too big or impossible.


...It is not the right time....
...The hurdles are too big...
...There is no one to support the idea yet....


These are all concerns that Arnold Janssen probably had too. For he had to struggle with many obstacles and many people thought he was crazy to found a new order at a time when orders were being dissolved by the dozen.

But he took the first step. The step that was needed for something to grow. The beginnings of the SVD Missionaries were under the most unfavourable conditions. But Arnold Janssen's idea took concrete shape and that was all it took for it to develop.

Behind this development, of course, is a lot of work and perseverance. But once an idea takes hold and inspires people, there are hardly any limits to its growth.

And so, since 1875, an idea has been growing in Steyl that is now spreading all over the world.

Impulse for you

Boundaries can look very different. We can impose them on ourselves or others tell us what we can and cannot do. But we and our ideas can also grow beyond them. Some things may seem impossible until we take the first step and grow from it.

Where do I come up against supposed limits?

Is there anything that would be worth taking the first step to?