WHO WE SERVE
EUROPE
During the last 50 years, Europe has witnessed a drastic change in its social, religious and cultural environment.
During the last 50 years, Europe has witnessed a drastic change in its social, religious and cultural environment.
Social-cultural involvement of the Church in the Russian society is welcomed, at least in most spheres. Divine Word Missionary communities in Russia are involved in ministries such as giving food and clothing to the poor; caring for the elderly and the sick; working among the addicts and the homeless; and providing schools and medical clinics for children from underprivileged or dysfunctional families. Russia is part of our Polish Province.
Divine Word Missionaries take care of two parishes in Latvia. Latvia is a part of our Polish Province.
Divine Word Missionaries and the members of their parishes are foundational members of the Catholic Church in Belarus after the fall of the Soviet Union. Because most of the parish communities are rather small, the laity forms an integral part of all our projects. The monthly magazine дыялог (“Dialogue”), published by our community in Belarus, has served the local Church for many years.
Divine Word Missionaries take care of three parishes in Ukraine. The main ministry is to migrants in the area. Ukraine is a part of our Polish Province.
In Moldova, the missionaries work in parishes in the very poor areas of Chişinău, Orhei and Staucen. They also care for children who have been orphaned. Moldova is part of our Italy Province.
Currently, the Divine Word Missionaries in Spain have 17 parishes and 20 missionaries who work in parish ministry. The Church in Spain is suffering a slow and progressive decline. Our missionaries in Spain have opted for a mission model that emphasizes dialogue, especially with immigrants and people seeking the faith, or who are in need of the new evangelization. Twice a year, the missionaries publish the magazine En Familia (“In Family”), which highlights letters, reports and projects from the missionaries.
The diocesan clergy has decreased drastically, as well as candidates for priestly and consecrated life. This is a huge pastoral challenge for the Church in Portugal. Our approach to mission has to be different. From the 1990s on, the profile of our work as Divine Word Missionaries began to change. In 1993 we took over the pastoral care of Almodôvar, a de-christianized region in the south of the country with an aging population. This has made primary evangelization our focus in Portugal.
Divine Word Missionaries serve at three parishes in Rosny-sous-Bois in extremely multicultural and multireligious environments. Our missionary presence in France is part of our Europe Central Province (Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and Croatia) established on May 1, 2016. The situations of the countries in this province are quite different due to various historical developments. A political tendency observed in all five countries is that the number of political parties increased with more groups defending their identity, mostly at the expense of those who appear foreign.
As Catholicism, along with religion as a whole, struggles in Ireland, Divine Word Missionaries understand the need for new and young vocations in order to fulfill the needs of our flock. The real focus of the Divine Word Missionary presence in Ireland is care for the elderly and a letting go of what functioned for the past while welcoming younger missionaries and searching for ways to build smaller communities within a pastoral context. The Harp is the colorful internal newsletter for our missionaries, benefactors and friends.
As Catholicism, along with religion as a whole, struggles in England, Divine Word Missionaries understand the need for new and young vocations in order to fulfill the needs of our flock. The real focus of the Divine Word Missionary presence in England is care for the elderly and a letting go of what functioned for the past while welcoming younger missionaries and searching for ways to build smaller communities within a pastoral context.
The Italian Province was established in 1965, separating it from the province of Switzerland. Presently, it comprises four countries: Italy, Romania, Moldova and Albania. In Vicenza, we offer pastoral services in collaboration with the diocese: one missionary coordinates pastoral ministry with migrants from the Philippines in Vicenza, another missionary collaborates in prison ministry and a third works with charity groups on the parish level.
Our missionaries in Switzerland focus on evangelization and support of youth and the family. Our missionary presence in Switzerland is part of our Europe Central Province (Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and Croatia) established on May 1, 2016. The situations of the countries in this province are quite different due to various historical developments. A political tendency observed in all five countries is that the number of political parties increased with more groups defending their identity, mostly at the expense of those who appear foreign.
Divine Word Missionaries in Austria focus on care for migrants, evangelization and support of youth and the family. Our missionary presence in Austria is part of our Europe Central Province (Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and Croatia) established on May 1, 2016. The situations of the countries in this province are quite different due to various historical developments. A political tendency observed in all five countries is that the number of political parties increased with more groups defending their identity, mostly at the expense of those who appear foreign.
In addition to having the largest economy, Germany has the largest population of any country in Western Europe, standing at 81.3 million. This includes some 18.6 million immigrants. The main role of the Divine Word Missionaries in Germany is to serve as parish priests and aid migrants as well as provide financial assistance to the greater missionary community. In terms of our mission animation, Steyl Medien and its production of the TV magazine Grenzenlos (“Boundless”) serves the missionaries’ aim in evangelizing through communication. The 50th issue of Grenzenlos was released and each part presents aspects of Divine Word Mission today.
Belgium is traditionally a mostly Catholic country, though this situation has changed drastically. Thus, Divine Word Missionaries focus on ministering to the migrant populations and evangelizing to those who have left the faith or who have never encountered it.
The Netherlands has a long tradition of receiving migrants and refugees from different parts of the world. Divine Word Missionaries focus on ministering to the migrant populations and evangelizing to all, looking out for those less fortunate as well as combating the increasing problem of cultural secularization. The Society of the Divine Word was also founded in Steyl, Holland in 1875 by St. Arnold Janssen.
The Divine Word Missionaries arrived in Hungary in 1916. In 1924, our missionaries opened a mission seminary for boys in the small village of Budatétény on the outskirts of Budapest. In 2010, our missionaries started to intentionally get involved in ministry to the Roma, commonly known as gypsies, a population that is still largely left out of the Hungarian church. In addition to their ministry to the Roma, the missionaries are involved in retreats, pilgrimages, summer camps, publications, prison visits and radio talks. They also facilitate sacramental life for non-Hungarian speakers.
Divine Word Missionaries’ main work in Poland is mission animation and renewal with various friends and benefactors. More immigrants come to Poland every year. The Fu Shenfu Migrant Center in Warsaw has delivered a variety of services to them for many years, and the missionaries are expanding their activities. There are 15 mission houses and 13 parishes in Poland. Our Polish Province was founded in 1935. The original shape changed after World War II. It now covers five countries: Poland, Ukraine, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), Latvia and Norway).
Catholics born in Norway (including immigrants’ offspring) make up about 38 percent of the Catholic population. Divine Word Missionaries in Norway focus on ministry to immigrants. Norway is a part of our Polish Province.
In Romania our main objective is to help the Romanian Church be open to missionary work. Romania is part of our Italy Province.
In Albania, our missionaries have taken on the parish of Santa Maria in Vlorë and all the work associated with parish life. Albania is part of the Italy Province.
In Croatia, the bishop of Zadar has assigned Divine Word Missionaries primarily to the care of small and older Christian communities on different islands. Our missionary presence in Croatia is part of our Europe Central Province (Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and Croatia) established on May 1, 2016. The situations of the countries in this province are quite different due to various historical developments. A political tendency observed in all five countries is that the number of political parties increased with more groups defending their identity, mostly at the expense of those who appear foreign.
In the late 1990s, the Divine Word Missionaries pastoral presence in the Czech Republic increased. First, it was in Moravia, in the eastern and more religious part of the country. We later took over parishes in the capital, Prague, and Kolin. Two missionaries from Vietnam are engaged in the care of the migrants.
Catholics are a tiny minority in Serbia, around 5.4 % of the population. The majority of Serbia's inhabitants belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church. There is a significant number of Muslims in the south of the country (in the so-called province of Sandżak). The Catholic Church is well organized in four dioceses of the Latin rite and one of the Greek Catholic rite. Religious orders are scarce in the country, with only the Jesuits, Franciscans, Salesians, Carmelites and Divine Word Missionaries present.
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6099
Techny, Illinois
60082-6099
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