Exhibit Introduction: A Constant yet Ever-Changing Mission
Few would have predicted that one Divine Word Brother selling German publications in the Mid-Atlantic states in the 1890s would lead to more than 350 Brothers and priests serving from coast-to-coast and into Canada and the Caribbean.
Sending a young Brother to the United States was one of the first missionary ventures of the newly formed religious community. Father Arnold Janssen, a German priest and teacher, founded the Society of the Divine Word in 1875 in Steyl, Holland, with a dream of sending Brothers and priests to spread the Gospel message worldwide. In 1895 when Brother Wendelin Meyer landed in New Jersey, telephones, electric lights and radio were in their infancy. The pioneer missionaries who came to Techny, Illinois four years later traveled in horse drawn carriages.
Divine Word Missionaries have offered a pastoral theological perspective to two World Wars, severe economic downturns, industrialization, urbanization, social and cultural upheaval. They have navigated changes in the Church and in religious life, most notably those brought about by the Second Vatican Council.
Seminaries, parishes, preaching and teaching, social justice initiatives and ecumenical outreach, hospital and prison chaplaincies, prophetic dialogue … the list of ministries undertaken by members of the Society of the Divine Word throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean is endless. Add to that the worldwide missionary work of men educated and formed in North American seminaries.
While each of these ministries deserves praise, the greatest advancement of the kingdom of God may best be seen in the way Divine Word Missionaries have focused their ministry on minorities and the poor. While the basic message and missionary outreach have not changed, the audience has.
Divine Word Missionaries have been pioneers and trailblazers as they brought the Word of God to Black Americans early in the 20th century, and then to Japanese Americans in the 1920s, to Hispanics in the 1960s, to Vietnamese refugees and the poor of Appalachia in the 1970s, and to an increasingly multicultural, multiracial, multi-ethnic church in the 21st century.
Pope Francis frequently reminds priests and religious to be like Jesus the Good Shepherd in the way they serve the members of their spiritual flock and minister to those who are lost and searching for God.The shepherd is to be the leader walking at the head of the flock, the protector of the flock, the voice heard both by those in the flock and those not part of the sheepfold, and ultimately, the one who lays down his life.
The challenge for Divine Word Missionaries today is to continue to plant seeds of faith and nurture their growth through a combination of prayer, ministry and vision using all the modern means of communication available. Serving all people and recognizing the contribution of all cultures remains the driving force for Divine Word Missionaries throughout North America. The theme of the 2012 General Chapter, “From every nation, people and language, sharing intercultural life and mission,” can serve as the blueprint for the next 125 years.
Please pray for all the Divine Word Missionaries who currently serve in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean carrying on the work started by Brother Wendelin Meyer in 1895. Ask the Lord to send more young men to join us as Divine Word priests and Brothers. Know that we pray for you, your loved ones and your intentions each day. Thank you for your prayers and donations that allow us to continue our work among minorities, immigrants and the poor.
May God bless you.
Very Rev. Quang Duc Dinh SVD
Provincial Superior