ARNOLD JANSSEN
FATHER – LEADER -FOUNDER
AT THE
SERVICE
OF THE
WORD
FOR
ONE WORLD
“CHAMPION OF EVANGELIZATION”
• “Proclaiming the Good News
is the first and main
expression of love for one’s
neighbor.” A. Janssen
• “He was an ardent animator
of the church’s mission in
Central Europe. He gave
proof of his courage while
opening a mission house in
Steyl when the Church went
through difficult time due to
the so-called ‘Kulturkampf’.”
Pope John Paul II
BORN IN GOCH – 05 November 1837
Parental house in Goch
HIS FATHER – GERHARD JANSSEN
Arnold‘s father, Gerhard Janssen, was a small business man. He transported
and sold goods from Goch across the border to the Dutch city of Nijmegen.
Additionally he had small parcels of land and rented to some farmers.
ANNA KATHARINA JANSSEN
• His Mother was Anna
Katharina Wellesen,
born in Heust-Weeze.
• She gave birth to 11
children. Arnold
Janssen was the
second eldest.
• “She was a praying
mother in the fullest
sense of the word.”
Arnold
APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER
Growing commitment to the world mission
• 1867, he became acquainted with Fr. Malfatti, Director of
the Apostleship of Prayer in Germany and Austria. He was
asked to be a promoter in the Diocese of Muenster.
• Apostleship of Prayer was founded in France in1844 by a
group of Jesuits for ordinary people – as kind of school and
formation for growing in faith.
• His spent all his holidays promoting the Apostleship of
Prayer in the parishes of the Diocese and was appointed as
Diocesan Director in 1869.
• He promoted it also in other Dioceses in Germany like Trier,
Cologne, Munich… Switzerland, Luxembourg.
• He started to write and publish pamphlets and prayer
leaflets which were very popular.
• 1873 occasioned by a problem in the school about the
statue of our Lady, he resigned from teaching for apostolate
MISSION PROMOTER – 1873 -1875
KEMPEN – URSULINE CONVENT
• Mission promotion through
the Prayer Apostolate.
• Published a new magazineLittle Messenger of the
Sacred Heart in 1874
• to support and pray for the
mission
• to promote missionary
awareness in Germany.
• to report on the home and
foreign mission.
• June 1874 issue: “Is there not
one among you in the whole
of Germany who feels called
to devote himself to the
missionary cause?”
BISHOP RAIMONDI – DECISIVE ROLE
Bishop Raimondi, Apostolic Vicar
of Hongkong
Mgsr. Von Essen had also plan
to start a Mission Seminary
• Bishop Raimondi: “No Mission
Seminary in Germany? Found one
yourself?”
• Arnold felt he was not the right
person to start for lack of
experience and no vocation for it.
He can only help the project.
• Others had doubts due to his
obstinacy and being impractical.
• Bishop Raimondi saw in Arnold
that he can do it because of his
faith, he is a man of prayer and
has passion for the mission.
• To Arnold in his last visit in
Kempen: “You trust in God more
than in yourself.”
TROUBLED WATERS IN GERMANY
• The politics of Otto Von Bismarck,
the Kulturkampf – a political
persecution of the Catholic church.
• Expulsion of religious, closing of
churches, schools, imprisonment
of Clergy, Religious and Bishops…
• Prohibition of opening any
religious institutions.
• Nobody and nothing is in his favor
to start a mission house.
• “We live in times when all is
crumbling down and threatening to
collapse…” Bishop Paul Melchers
of Cologne, 1874.
CROSSING THE BORDER - STEYL
• Arnold Janssen: “We are
living when much is being
destroyed, but that is all
the more reason to build
something new.”
• Bishop of Roermond
Joseph Paredis: “Imagine,
he wants to build a
mission house and has
nothing. He is either a
fool or a saint.” Dec 1874.
OLD BARN ALONG THE MAAS RIVER
• June 16, 1875 - the purchase of the
house from Mr. Nicholas Ronck.
• “It was decided to make this
day the FOUNDATION DAY.
We resolved that each one of
us would consecrate himself to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
the objectives of the mission
house.”
• “The purpose of the house will be to
prepare and send forth missionaries
to mission countries, for the spread
of God’s Kingdom on earth…”
• “It should also serve the Catholics of
Austria and the Netherlands…without
excluding members of other nations.”
The signing of the purchase
SEPT. 8, 1875 - INAUGURATION DAY
• “The simplicity of this
beginning should not
discourage us. We know that
our present resources we
cannot accomplish our task,
but we hope that the dear
God will provide everything
we need. And he may do
with us what he wills.”
• “If the seminary succeeds, we
will thank the grace of God. If
nothing comes of it, we will
humbly strike our breast and
confess that we were not
worthy of the grace”
Arnold Janssen
In the Steyl Village Chapel
FIRST BUILDING IN 1876-77
The new building had rooms for the growing community. There was a
chapel which can accommodate 120 persons. On the main altar was the
statue to the Sacred Heart. This chapel was used till 1883.
MISSION PRESS APOSTOLATE
• 27 January 1876 – opening of
the printing press.
• Lay typesetter, Joseph Stute,
gave a big help and worked till
1882.
• The first magazines aside from
the Little Messenger were
Stadt Gottes (City of God), St.
Michael’s Almanac.
• Press Apostolate with strong
lay collaboration was set up by
the Brothers.
• “Itinerant or traveling Brothers”
emerged from this apostolate
MISSION SCHOOL IN STEYL
• Preparing missionaries in
the spirit of generosity,
devotion and readiness
for sacrifice.
• In 1879 – 60 students. In
1881 over 100 students.
In 1886 – 200 students.
.
FIRST TWO MISSIONARIES TO CHINA
March 2, 1879
JOHANN BAPTIST ANZER
JOSEPH FREINADEMETZ
RETREAT MOVEMENT IN STEYL
• In1877 started the retreat
movement. In 1889 the Third
General Chapter – “the first
priority for Europe is holding
spiritual exercises in our own
houses, if possible”.
• Tradition in Steyl – every
new building was first for
retreats before occupied.
• Till the death of Arnold, 63
thousand retreatants came –
men, women, lay, religious
and clergy.
• Arnold Janssen was looked
up by other religious as great
promoter of retreat
movement and renewal.
Gardens with grottoes were made
for the retreatants.
STEYL SVD MISSION BROTHERS
•The growth of Steyl Congregations, constructions, expansion, finances in Europe and in
the missions were done by the selfless dedicated and services of the Brothers.
DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS
PART OF MISSION FORMATION
FOUNDATIONS IN EUROPE
1889 - St. Gabriel - Austria
1892 – Holy Cross - Germany
1898 Sankt Wendel - Germany
1904 – St. Rupert - Austria
WOMEN MISSIONARIES TO THE WORLD
• The Sisters were trained for
different apostolates like as
teachers, midwives, nurses…
• Mission sending sermon:
“They dedicate their lives to
the service on the missions,
to take up an apostolate
among women…to take up
the care and education of
children and to be good
mothers to them…to support
the work of the missionaries.”
Arnold Janssen, 1895
LIFE OF PRAYER FOR THE MISSION
Notre Dame Convent -1896-1904
Sacred Heart Convent – 1904-1914
Holy Spirit Convent – from 1914
ETHNOLOGICAL AND LINGUISTIC
RESEARCH
• With the interest of
Arnold Janssen, Fr.
Wilhelm Schmidt –
started the review for
studies in cultures,
peoples and languages
• In March 1906 was
published the first issue
of “Anthropos”.
• It developed with international collaboration
and edited in German,
French, English and
Italian.
FROM STEYL TO THE WORLD
SVD
SSPS
1879 – Hongkong, 1882 - China
1895 – Argentina
1888 - Rome, Italy
1897 – Togo (1989)
1889 – Argentina
1899 – Papua New Guinea
1889 – Austria
1901 – USA
1892 – Germany, Togo-[1917, 1974]
1902 – Brasil
1893 – Ecuador – [1899,1962]
1905 – China
1895 – Brazil
1908 - Japan
1895 – USA
1896 – Papua New Guinea
1900 – Chile
1907 – Japan
1908 - Philippines
SVD AND SSPS MISSION IN THE
TIME OF ARNOLD JANSSEN
“IN THE EVENING OF MY LIFE”
• “I come to you, God Holy
Spirit. In heartfelt praise
and thanksgiving. Before
you whom my soul praises.
• Yet none of this was my
work. You yourself brought
it all about.
• When my eyes close for
the last time, may my sons
and daughters pray to you
in the Spirit. That united
and with all their strength
they may praise you and
may they continue to work
for your glory.”
Arnold Janssen
CHOSEN BY GOD
„
“It is remarkable that a
man who was humanly
speaking so ordinary and
frail, and in spite of many
difficulties and
contradictions, achieved
such extraordinary
things. That goes to
show, how he, Arnold,
was a man chosen by
God”
Bishop Poggenburg - Muenster - 1913
CHARISM ALIVE- ARNOLDUS FAMILY
ASIA
AMERICAS
SVD – 3080
SSPS – 1344
SSPSAP-178
SVD - 739
SSPS - 692
SSPSAP – 107
Total – 1,532
Total – 4,602
AFRICA
OCEANIA
SVD - 236
SSPS - 31
SSPSAP – 8
Total - 275
EUROPE
SVD - 1923
SSPS – 1372
SSPSAP-114
Total – 3,409
SVD - 51
SSPS – 38
SSPSAP-0
Total - 89
CAUGHT UP IN THE MYSTERY OF THE
INDWELLING TRIUNE GOD
CALLED
TO SHARE
IN THE
MISSION
OF THE
TRIUNE
GOD
The Mission
response of
St. Arnold
to the Realities
of His Time
His PEG: Triune God dwelling in me
Self Image: I am indwelt, loved by the Triune God,
called to live by the Word
Incarnate in all reality, led by the Spirit
Image of others: all are called to be a community of
disciples, indwelt by the Triune God
living the Word and led by the Spirit missioned to
proclaim the Good News to all people
Social Situation: Break-up of Feudalism/Exodus to
Cities/Rise of Working Class/Capitalist Class/Atlantic
Migration
His View: Opportunity for World Mission (geographic)
– a call to nurture the migrants’ faith
His Concern: The endangered faith of the migrants in
the new world
His Response: He prepared and sent SVD and SSpS
missionaries to South and North America
Political Situation: French revolution, rise of nation states,
wars, growing nationalism, Kulturkampf – Germany
His View: Saw a chance to found a German Mission
Society and go beyond nationalism to internationalism
His Concern: Exaggerated nationalism, increasing
number of unemployed priests since parishes were
closed
His Response: Founded three German religious
missionary congregations with international membership
Economic Situation: Industrial revolutions/Scientific Inventions
Rise of Capitalism – need for markets/raw materials
His View: Provided a way for frontier mission, use of industrial
progress/national protectorates for mission
His Concern: Colonization of Latin America, Asia, Africa…
growing materialism due to economic progress
His Response: Sent missionaries to China and colonized
countries, used modern printing press and promoted lay brother
vocations, founded Anthropos Institute to help missionaries
understand other cultures, SSpS to evangelize families in areas
closed to men, included Science in the curriculum for seminary
studies
Cultural Situation: Spirit of Liberalism and Rationalism,
growing faith in Science, anti-Church and anti-clerical
His View: A way to influence culture through the Word of God
and the Holy Spirit, guiding the creative use of high-tech and
scientific discoveries for the ministries of the world mission
His Concern: De-Christianization of the society, Laicization
movement, multiplication of religious sects
His Response: Awakened mission awareness through the
press apostolate, recruited lay volunteers to help, founded
the Brothers’ Institute, gave missionaries training in
languages/skills for mission purposes
Religious Situation: Defensive Church isolating itself,
Church reform and lay spirituality movements, marked
increase of Apostolic Congregations for both men and
women, beginnings of ecumenism
His View: Opportunity to take well-discerned risks for
mission, utilizing current trends, linking with others
His Concern: Appropriate church reforms, need for
renewal of clergy and laity, disunity among Christians
His Response: Organized retreats for priests, religious
and lay, worked for the unification of Protestants and
Catholics, more emphasis on prayer and contemplation
for all members of his three congregations
CANONIZED IN 05 OCT 2003
“Missionaries are
ambassadors of
divine love. They
are to reveal the
great deeds of God
and establish the
kingdom of divine
love.”
St.Arnold Janssen
His motto sums
it up:
May the Holy Triune God Live in Our Hearts
and in the Hearts of All !