The word of God inspired so many of the missionaries of the Church to spread the word throughout the world. Today is the feast day of St Arnold Jansen, a parish priest from Germany who endured the persecutions of the Catholic Church under Otto von Bismarck, the leader of that country in the late 19th century. Jansen fled to Holland, where he proposed sending German priests all over the world as missionaries, which eventually led to the founding of the Society of the Divine Word missionaries. This order of priests was approved by the Vatican in 1901. Shortly thereafter, they came to the United States, where there were many newly arrived immigrants from Germany, including some of my own ancestors who had immigrated to Chicago in the late 19th century. The SVD priests founded many parishes serving the African American community in our own state of Mississippi, including parishes in Vicksburg, Yazoo City, Greenville, Indianola, and Jackson. Even in the face of persecution, we can find ways to spread God’s word and keep it alive and vital.
May the enthusiasm and vigor of Arnold Jansen and the other missionaries of our faith help serve as an inspiration to us all. May God’s word continue to inspire us and motivate us in our lives.
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