Founded in 1875 by St. Arnold Janssen, the Society of the Divine Word is the largest Roman Catholic order that focuses on missionary work. Throughout our history, we have entered lands where people are in need. As we listen to the people, observe their ways and become a part of their communities, we also discover how best we can show God's love to them.
Worldwide, the Society of the Divine Word is organized into 60 provinces. The Chicago Province is the Society of the Divine Word's largest province in the Western Hemisphere. In the Chicago Province, we number more than 250 men.
The Society of the Divine Word's Chicago Province consists of an ethnically diverse group of priests and brothers. Collectively, we come from 27 countries and speak more than 20 languages. These language skills aid us in living out one of our most treasured values, which we call prophetic dialogue. Dialogue has always been an important component to the work that we do.
Unlike other religious orders that organize their members based upon where they begin their careers, we may be assigned to several provinces over the course of a lifetime. Although we come from different parts of the globe, we have one thing in common: a desire to serve God and our fellow human beings and to respect our differences.