Arnold Janssen

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Bronze bust of St. Arnold Janssen at the St. Arnold Janssen Church in Goch

Arnold Janssen (born November 5, 1837 in Goch am Niederrhein; † January 15, 1909 in Steyl , Netherlands ) was a German missionary and the founder of the Steyler Missionaries (Societas Verbi Divini, SVD, i.e. Society of the Divine Word), the Steyler Missionaries and the Divine Adoration Sisters . He is a saint of the Catholic Church .

Live and act

Arnold Janssen's birthplace
Memorial plaque on Arnold Janssen's birthplace
High grave of Arnold Janssen - Missionshaus St. Michael in Steyl (NL)

Arnold Janssen was born the second of eleven siblings. He inherited a deep, naive religiosity from his parents and was one of the first students at the newly established Catholic boarding school Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck not far from his native town. After graduating from high school, which he shared there in 1855, among other things. with the later Bishop of Münster Hermann Jakob Dingelstad , he studied mathematics and natural sciences in Bonn and Münster and then, in the second course, theology in Münster and was ordained a priest of the diocese of Münster on August 15, 1861. He was then designated to teach at the higher school in Bocholt in Westphalia. His deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus quickly made him the leader of the prayer apostolate in his diocese. Janssen also opened this apostolate to Christians of other denominations .

In 1873 - during the Kulturkampf - he renounced his teaching activity, switched to the Ursuline monastery in Kempen / Niederrhein as a house chaplain and soon afterwards published a monthly magazine called Der kleine Herz-Jesu-Bote , in which he published news from the mission and the called on German-speaking Catholics to "Heidenmission". In other countries there were separate centers for the training of missionaries, only not in Germany. Janssen hoped that some priest interested in the mission would take up the challenge and set up a house to prepare missionaries for overseas service. He himself wanted to promote the project through public advertising and fundraising with the help of his magazine.

When no one responded to his idea of ​​founding a “German Mission House”, he saw himself called by God for this difficult task , not least inspired by the Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong , Timoleone Raimundi. Many felt that he was not the right man to do it, or that the time was not yet ripe. "The Lord challenges our faith to realize something new, precisely because so much is collapsing within the church," was Janssen's answer.

With the blessing of some bishops, Janssen began to raise money while at the same time looking for a suitable location. At the height of the Kulturkampf in Germany, he was able to buy an old inn in the Dutch village of Steyl near Venlo in the Diocese of Roermond , just across the German border. The house was inaugurated on September 8, 1875, a date later associated with the establishment of the Society of the Divine Word . The living conditions in the old building were more than modest; Nevertheless, the training of the first two missionaries began, who set out for the Chinese Empire on March 2, 1879 . One of them was Josef Freinademetz , born in Abtei-Oies , South Tyrol , who was later canonized together with Arnold Janssen. This shows that the German mission house was oriented towards an international community from the very beginning, which became a fundamental characteristic of the communities founded by Janssen.

Arnold Janssen had recognized the importance of magazines, both for spreading the idea of ​​mission among young people and for raising the necessary financial resources. Just four months after the inauguration of the house, he founded his own printing company, from which many volunteers distributed the magazines in the German-speaking area. One of the most important published works is the three-volume school of virtue of Janssen's brother Johannes (1853–1898), who was also active in the mission.

The increasing number of students required the building to be expanded again and again. Many men worked for weeks, months, even years as volunteers in Steyl, and quite a few were ready to serve as craftsmen for the mission all their lives . So the new society developed from the beginning as a community of brothers and priests, although this was not originally planned. By providing the friars with professional training and giving them important tasks, Janssen helped develop a new type of friars for the mission. Until 1885 they lived according to the rule of the Third Order of the Dominicans .

After a few years Janssen began to think about a second foundation, in Austria , as close as possible to Vienna . However, this request was opposed by an imperial ordinance from 1850 , according to which the board of directors of such an institution had to be "as a rule an Austrian citizen". The community of Goggendorf at that time (today the cadastral community of Sitzendorf an der Schmida ) granted Janssen the right of home through the mediation of the local pastor on April 12, 1885, and Janssen, who thus received Austrian citizenship , was able to set up the Saint Gabriel mission house in the community of Maria Enzersdorf Founded near Mödling south of Vienna, which was opened on October 14, 1889. Later, in 1904, Janssen founded a second mission house in Austria, Sankt Rupert bei Bischofshofen in the state of Salzburg .

Arnold Janssen with some of the mission houses he donated

At the first general chapter in 1885 the decision was made to establish the Divine Word Society ( Societas Verbi Divini , SVD) as a religious community . Your main goal should be service in preaching the gospel, especially among non-Christians. The chapter elected Arnold Janssen as the first superior general . The volunteers in the mission house also included some women who worked in the kitchen, did the laundry and did other household chores, including the blessed Hendrina Stenmanns and Helena Stollenwerk . But their real goal was to serve as missionary sisters in the preaching of the gospel. This desire and her years of faithful service as well as the insight that women were necessary for the mission led Janssen to found the Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit ( Servae Spiritus Sancti , SSpS) on December 8, 1889. In 1895 the first sisters broke to Argentina on.

In 1896 Janssen selected some sisters to start a contemplative branch, the Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit of Eternal Adoration ( Servae Spiritus Sancti de Adoratione perpetua , SSpSAP). Because of their costume, these sisters are popularly known as the Pink Sisters to this day . Your missionary service should be perpetual prayer before the Blessed Sacrament for the concerns of the Church and especially of the other two mission communities.

At the celebration of the silver jubilee of the mission house, the Steyler Missionswerk already counted 190 sisters, 208 priests, 549 brothers, 99 theology students and a further 731 students in the various levels. Today more than 6000 missionaries of the Divine Word work in 69 countries and come from 70 nations. 3500 Servants of the Holy Spirit work in 41 countries in the various areas of the preaching of the Good News, and 400 Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration in ten countries accompany the brothers and sisters with their prayers. A community of a few priests and brothers became the seventh largest male order in the world, which is characterized by its internationality.

Beatification and Canonization

Bust with memorial plaque in the Church of St. Maria Magdalena , Goch

On October 19, 1975, World Mission Sunday , Father Arnold Janssen was in Rome by Pope Paul VI. Beatified together with Eugen von Mazenod , the founder of the missionaries Oblates of the Immaculate Virgin Mary , and Father Josef Freinademetz , one of the first two Divine Word missionaries in China .

On October 5, 2003, he was by Pope John Paul II. Together with Josef Freinademetz and Daniele Comboni , founder of the Comboni Missionaries , canonized .

Remembrance day

His feast day is January 15th . For the Steyler missionaries it is a solemn festival and in the dioceses of Aachen , Münster and Vienna it is a non-mandatory day of remembrance .

Honors

Statue of St. Arnold Janssen at the St. Arnold Mission House

In his native town of Goch, the Arnold-Janssen Church and the Catholic Arnold-Janssen Congregation are named after Saint Arnold. His birthplace, the Arnold Janssen House, can be visited in Frauenstrasse in Goch.

In Neuenkirchen ( Münsterland ) there is the St. Arnold district . Here is located on a former mission house of the Divine Word Missionaries, the Arnold-Janssen-Gymnasium Neuenkirchen / St. Arnold , which was run by monks since 1929 and located in the sponsorship of the 1996 Münster diocese is. Another high school named after him is the Arnold-Janssen-Gymnasium St. Wendel in Saarland , which was founded in 1898 . The Arnold-Janssen-Grundschule in Goch and the Arnold-Janssen-Hauptschule in Bocholt were named after him. In Bocholt, Goch, Mosbach, Nettetal-Kaldenkirchen, Bad Driburg and St. Augustin streets got his name.

Fonts

Editions of the correspondence

  • Richard Hartwich (eds.): Arnold Janssen and Josef Freinademetz. Correspondence 1904–1907 (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , vol. 23). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1978, ISBN 3-87787-109-7 .
    • Richard Hartwich (ed.): Father Arnold Janssen and Father Josef Freinademetz. Correspondence between two holy men (1904-1907) (= Analecta SVD , Vol. 91). Collegium Verbi Divini, Rome 2008.
  • Josef Alt (Ed.): Arnold Janssen SVD. Letters to South America (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , Vol. 43-46), Steyler Verlag, Nettetal
  • Josef Alt (Ed.): Arnold Janssen SVD, Letters to the United States of America (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , Vol. 57). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1994, ISBN 3-8050-0339-0 .
    • Josef Alt (Ed.): Arnold Janssen. Letters to the United States of America (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , Vol. 58). Translated by Robert Pung SVD and Peter Spring. Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1998, ISBN 3-8050-0405-2 .
  • Josef Alt (Ed.): Arnold Janssen SVD. Letters to New Guinea and Australia (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , vol. 63). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1996, ISBN 3-8050-0370-6 .
    • Josef Alt (Ed.): Arnold Janssen. Letters to New Guinea and Australia (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , Vol. 77). Translated by Frank Mihalic. Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 2001, ISBN 3-8050-0467-2 .
  • Josef Alt (Ed.): Arnold Janssen SVD. Letters to China (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , Vol. 73-75). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal

Florilegia from the spiritual writings

  • Arnold Janssen: Your word on my way . Text selection by Jakob Reuter SVD. Butzon and Bercker, Kevelaer 1987, ISBN 3-7666-9534-7 .
  • Friedbert Ewertz SVD (Ed.): Alone God's hl. Will. Words of Blessed Arnold Janssen for every day of the year . Secretariat Arnold Janssen, Steyl 1992.

literature

Biographies and biographies

  • Johannes Kreiten SVD: Fr. Arnold Janssen, founder and first general superior of the Society of the Divine Word. A picture of life . In: Steyler Missionsbote , Jg. 36 (1909), pp. 85-87, 99-103, 115-118, 131-136, 147-151, 163-167, 179-183; Vol. 37 (1909/1910), pp. 3-5, 18-21, 34-39.
  • Hermann Fischer: A. Janssen, founder of the Steyler Missionswerk. A picture of life . Missionsdruckerei publishing house, Steyl 1919.
    • Hermann Fischer: Life of Arnold Janssen. Founder of the Society of the Divine Word and the Missionary Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Ghost . Translated by Frederic M. Lynk. Mission Press SVD, Techny, Illinois 1925.
  • Franz-Josef Eilers , Bernward Mankau: He sowed God's word. A picture book on the life of Arnold Janssen . Steyler publishing house, Kaldenkirchen / Rhld. 1962
    • 2., ext. Edition: Franz-Josef Eilers, Heinz Helf: He sowed God's word. Arnold Janssen, 1837-1909. Pictures and documents about his life . Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1987, ISBN 3-8050-0189-4 .
      • English-language edition: Arnold Janssen 1837–1909. A Pictorial Biography. Photographs and Documentation from His Life . Editoral Verbo Divino, Estella 1987, ISBN 84-7151-557-1 .
  • Fritz Bornemann : News about the illness and death of our founder (= Analecta SVD , vol. 19). Collegium Verbi Divini, Rome 1969.
  • Fritz Bornemann: Arnold Janssen, the founder of the Steyler Missionswerk, 1837–1909. An image of life based on contemporary sources . Secretariat Arnold Janssen, Steyl 1969; 3rd edition: Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1992, ISBN 3-8050-0300-5 .
    • Fritz Bornemann: Arnoldo Janssen Fundador de los Misioneros del Verbo Divino, Vida y Obra . Editorial Verbo Divino, Estella 1971.
    • Fritz Bornemann: Arnold Janssen. Fondatore the missionari del Verbo Divino 1837–1909 . Secretariat Arnold Janssen, Steyl 1975.
  • Josef Alt SVD (Ed.): Arnold Janssen: His Mission - Our Mission , drawings: Jean Retailleau. Editions Sadifa, Strasbourg-Lingolsheim 1984, ISBN 2-903793-16-6 .
  • Arnold Janssen yesterday and today. Contributions from more than sixty years to the life and work of the Steyler founder (= Analecta SVD , Bd. 63 / II). Collegium Verbi Divini, Rome 1989.
  • Josef Alt: Arnold Janssen. Life path and life work of the founder of the Steyler order (= Studia Instituti Missiologici , vol. 70). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1999, ISBN 3-8050-0427-3 <the authoritative biography>.
    • Josef Alt: El mundo en un meson. Vida u Obra misionera de Arnoldo Janssen . Editorial Verbo Divino, Cochabamba / Bolivia 2002, ISBN 99905-1-020-2 .
    • Josef Alt: Journey of Faith. The Missionary Life of Arnold Janssen (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , Vol. 78). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 2002, ISBN 3-8050-0471-0 .
  • Stefan Üblackner: Arnold Janssen. A life in the service of the universal Church. Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 2003. ISBN 3-8050-0500-8 .
  • Karl Josef Rivinius: Arnold Janssen, the saint of the Lower Rhine . In: Verbum SVD , vol. 45 (2004), issue 4, pp. 327-352.

Articles in biographical encyclopedias

Arnold Janssen's life's work

  • Hermann on the Heide SVD: The Mission Society of Steyl. A picture of the first 25 years of its existence. Anniversary gift for September 8, 1900 . Publishing house of the mission printing company in Steyl, Kaldenkirchen (Rhld.) 1900.
  • Anton Freitag SVD: The Missions of the Society of the Divine Word. Handbook on the geography, history and mission studies of the areas in which the Divine Word missionaries are currently active . Verlag der Missionsdruckerei Steyl, Post Kaldenkirchen (Rhineland) 1912.
  • Divine Mission Societies . In: Horst Rzepkowski: Lexicon of Mission. History, theology, ethnology . Verlag Styria, Graz - Vienna - Cologne 1992, ISBN 3-222-12052-8 , pp. 390-391.

Individual points of view

  • Edmund Plazinski (ed.): With the blessing of the church. Letters to Arnold Janssen . Steyler Mission, St. Augustin 1975.
  • Johannes A. Bauer: The press apostolate Arnold Janssens (1837-1909). Its significance for the development of the Society of the Divine Word and the formation of mission consciousness (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD , Vol. 49). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1989, ISBN 3-8050-0254-8 .
  • Jakob Reuter: Captured and sent by the Spirit. Character traits of the blessed Arnold Janssen (= Analecta SVD , vol. 72). Secretariat Arnold Janssen, Steyl, Nettetal 1993.
  • Karl Josef Rivinius : The relationship between Arnold Janssen and Johann Baptist Anzer in the early days of the Steyler Mission Society . In: Verbum SVD , Vol. 44 (2003), Issue 2/3, pp. 221-260.

Web links

Commons : Arnold Janssen  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Divine Word Missionaries: Vital dates of St. Arnold Janssen
  2. ↑ St.-Georg-Gymnasium Bocholt: School history Retrieved on June 14, 2011.
  3. ↑ Jakob Hermes: Father Arnold Janssen on the Lower Rhine; the work of the founder of the order in Kempen. In: Das alten Kempen, Krefeld 1982, pp. 190–193.
  4. ↑ Chun-Shik Kim: German cultural imperialism in China. German colonial schools in Kiautschou (China) 1898–1914 . Mission History Archive Volume 8, Franz Steiner Verlag, Wiesbaden 2004, ISBN 3-515-08570-X , p. 98 f. ( Online )
  5. ↑ Hinnebusch, William A .: Brief history of the Dominican order. (Dominican sources and references 4) Leipzig 2004, 215; Alt J., Arnold Janssen. The life path and work of the founder of the Steyler order, Rome 1999.
  6. ↑ Peter Aichinger-Rosenberger (Ed.): At home in Sitzendorf - home book of the market town Sitzendorf an der Schmida . Sitzendorf an der Schmida, 2006, ISBN 3-200-00577-7 , p. 424
  7. ↑ see also “Der Heilige von Goggendorf” on the website of the market town Sitzendorf an der Schmida, accessed on April 7, 2013
personal data
SURNAME Janssen, Arnold
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German missionary and founder of the order
BIRTH DATE November 5, 1837
PLACE OF BIRTH Goch on the Lower Rhine
DATE OF DEATH January 15, 1909
PLACE OF DEATH Steyl