150 Years of Divine Word Missionaries

The Society of the Divine Word (SVD) brought its 150th Jubilee to a close in Rome with a series of events that wove together memory, gratitude, intercultural fraternity, and a renewed commitment to mission and creation.

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.

On September 5, 2025, the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) brought together nearly 200 scholars, missionaries, and media professionals from around the world for a global reflection on “Evangelization in the Digital Age.”

The India Central Province of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) marked its sesquicentennial jubilee with a vibrant celebration at St. Arnold’s Seva Sadan, Indore, drawing together hundreds of priests, religious, lay partners, and well-wishers in a spirit of thanksgiving and joy.

In 1875, a young German priest named Arnold Janssen heard the cry of the world and answered it with the Word of God.