With “Witnessing to the Light: From Everywhere, For Everyone” as the Jubilee theme for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation, the SVDs around the globe recall their legacy of witnessing to the Light through pioneering frontier missions, embracing the vulnerable, preserving cultures, learning languages, and creating space for intercultural encounters.
This was made possible by St. Arnold Janssen, a priest of the Diocese of Münster, who, amid the Kulturkampf (the struggle between the German state and the Catholic Church), founded the Society of the Divine Word on September 8, 1875, in Steyl, Holland. The twofold purpose of this foundation was: (i) to train, equip, and send forth missionaries to mission countries, and (ii) to cultivate Christian sciences. Thus, the SVD was born as a creative and faithful response to a wounded context, with the charism to proclaim the Word of God to all.
Today, the Divine Word Missionaries, as the SVDs are popularly known, have journeyed through 150 years with 5,641 members hailing from 76 nationalities and serving in 79 countries. In terms of membership, the SVD is the sixth-largest male religious congregation in the Catholic Church, with the average age of members in perpetual vows being 54.44 years.
After pioneering missions in 23 countries, the SVDs opened a new chapter of missionary endeavor in India, arriving in Indore on November 4, 1932. Today, the SVD mission in India has four provinces and a region. Prophetically responding to various challenges, the SVDs in India have made several noteworthy contributions, among them:
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Scholarship and cultural studies: Fr. Stephen Fuchs contributed to India’s cultural wealth with nearly 9,000 published pages in sociology, anthropology, and ethnography.
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Translation and liturgy: Fr. Stanislaus Wald and Fr. Herman Westermann translated the rites of sacramental administration from Latin into Hindi in 1949. Fr. Wald was also the first Catholic to translate the Old Testament into Hindi, published in May 1965.
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Inculturation in worship: Fr. George Proksch and Fr. Charles Vas integrated Indian art, architecture, dance, and music into the liturgy and the proclamation of the Gospel.
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Church leadership: Fr. Engelbert Zeitler played a pivotal role in establishing the Conference of Religious India (CRI) and in founding initiatives such as the CBCI/CRI Joint Commission, the National Vocation Service Centre (NVSC), Ishvani Kendra, and Streevani.
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Communication and mission: SVDs were instrumental in developing Catholic communication bodies such as UNDA (International Catholic Association for Radio and Television), OCIC (International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual), and SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication).
Formation and vocations: Missionaries such as Fr. Valentine Zimmermann, Fr. Peter Verhaelen, Fr. Joaquim Mocha, Fr. Karl Ritz, and Servant of God Marian Zelazek pioneered indigenous vocations and SVD minor seminaries in India, helping to transform India into a missionary-sending nation. Many dioceses built and nurtured by the SVDs have become hotspots for local vocations and missionary zeal.
The SVDs also fostered three religious congregations in India: the Indian Missionary Society (IMS), the Handmaids of Mary (HM), and Sant Joseph Sevika Sanstha (SJS). Their ministries have included outreach to persons affected by leprosy and HIV/AIDS, care for children and persons with disabilities, health services, advocacy, women’s empowerment, youth formation, and the building of Basic Ecclesial and Basic Ecological Communities. Servant of God Marian Zelazek’s tireless work for people affected by leprosy earned him two nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (2001 and 2003), and the BBC produced a 45-minute documentary on his life titled “The New Face of Leprosy.”
The 13 SVD bishops in India, as apostles and architects of 10 dioceses and archdioceses, have built up local churches deeply rooted in the cultural and social fabric of their people.
The SVD lay mission partners have also played a vital role in building a participatory Church. Currently, India has eight officially recognized SVD lay associate groups with 302 members. Through prayer, collaboration, financial support, nurturing vocations, and sponsoring seminarians, they continue to share in the mission of the SVD.
As the sesquicentennial jubilee draws to a close, the 539 SVDs serving in India give thanks to God, the author of the mission, and gratefully recall the efforts of the founding generations and all those who have carried forward the mission from 1932 to 2025. With renewed commitment, they pledge to continue bearing witness to the Light, in India and wherever they are sent.
(With inputs from Fr. Dixson Lawrence D’Souza, SVD)
