The Society of the Divine Word has this month celebrated the feast days of its two SVD saints, St Arnold Janssen and St Joseph Freinademetz.

The Australian Province of the SVD celebrated the feast days with special Masses and social gatherings of confreres, SSpS Sisters, parishioners, lay partners and partners in mission, while in Rome, St Arnold’s feast day was marked as part of the Third SVD Caucus, with former Australian Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD as one of the guest speakers.

St Arnold founded the Society of the Divine Word on September 8, 1875. He later went on to found two orders of Religious Women, the Servant Sisters of the Holy Spirit and the Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration.

His feast day is on January 15, the date of his death in 1909.

On March 2, 1879, the first two SVD missionaries set out for China. One of these was Joseph Freinademetz. 

St Joseph, whose feast day is on January 29, stayed for many years in China, during turbulent political and cultural times, and he faced many challenges, but he came to know and love the Chinese people and was loved by them in return.

“I do not consider missionary life as a sacrifice I offer to God, but as the greatest grace that God could ever have lavished upon me,” he said in one of his letters home. 

The two feast days were celebrated across the Australia Province, from small villages in Thailand to parishes in New Zealand, Myanmar and around Australia, from Balgo in Western Australia to the Tiwi Islands in the north, Central Australia, parishes in Queensland, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.

Provincial, Fr Boni Buahendri SVD said that in Sydney, the founder’s feast day was celebrated with a Mass at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel at Marsfield, as well as in missions around the Province.

In his homily, Fr Boni shared his own missionary story, as one example of the many thousands of lives inspired by St Arnold.

“I shared my own story as a way of introduction as I begin my term as Provincial, but also to give thanks for St Arnold Janssen, who established this missionary society,” he said.

“We will also celebrate the feast days of St Arnold and St Joseph Freinademetz on a Sunday in early February, when Australians are back from their summer holidays and more people can join in.”

In Townsville, Queensland, SVD confreres celebrated Mass with the people of the Good Shepherd parish and later shared a meal with the SSpS Sisters who are ministering in the region.

And in the Darwin Diocese, Bishop Charles Gauci marked the feast day by issuing a public note of thanks for the SVD missionaries in the Diocese.

“Today, we celebrate the feast of St Arnold Janssen, the founder of the SVD (Society of the Divine Word) congregation,” he posted on the Diocese’s Facebook. “We thank God for the missionaries and members of this congregation who serve faithfully in our diocese. We are especially grateful for the love and dedication they share with so many people in the parishes of Santa Teresa, Alice Springs, and the Tiwi Islands.

“Let us pray that God continues to bless them in their ministry and grants them abundant vocations to sustain their mission.”

Holy Family Parish in Ingleburn in the Diocese of Wollongong, shared their celebrations on their Facebook page.

“Today, we joyfully join the Society of the Divine Word in celebrating the Feast Day of their beloved founder, St. Arnold Janssen — a visionary missionary whose life continues to inspire faith, service, and unity across the world,” the parish said.

“At Holy Family, we marked this special occasion with a beautiful Mass offered in honour of St Arnold, giving thanks for his legacy and for the dedicated SVD missionaries who continue his mission with passion and humility.

“May St Arnold’s spirit of prayer, courage, and missionary zeal continue to guide and bless the SVD community and all those touched by their ministry.”

The feast day was also celebrated in SVD parishes and communities in Thailand and Myanmar.

In Myanmar, Fr Deva Savariyappan SVD celebrated Mass at the Chapel of the Sisters of St Joseph of Apparition in Hmawbi, where he regularly celebrates Mass on Sundays and on special occasions as part of the SVD ministry. The sisters run both an orphanage and a home for the elderly.

“As it was the feast day of our founder, I went there to offer Mass and to help make our founder better known,” he said.

“The Mass was attended by the children from the orphanage (elementary and high school students) as well as the residents of the elderly home. Some parishioners also joined the celebration. After the Mass, they sang 'Happy Feast Day' in honour of our founder.”

Fr Raja Kommareddy SVD said a simple Mass was celebrated for St Arnold’s feast day in his parish of Te Awakairangi Catholic Church, in New Zealand’s Wellington Archdiocese.

In Thailand, Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD, who is based in Bangkok, reflected on St Arnold’s life of crossing borders to establish his missionary society and send his first missionaries across the ocean to China.

“Generations of SVDs have since been formed to cross borders—geographical, religious, cultural, and social—in order to carry out the mission of witnessing to Christ, who crossed every boundary to dwell among humanity,” he said on Facebook.

“Let us not be afraid to cross borders, nor to fear those who do so. Instead, may we recognise every border-crossing as an opportunity for encounter, dialogue, and communion.”

Meanwhile, in Rome, St Arnold’s feast day was celebrated during the opening day of the Third SVD Caucus, held from January 15 to 21 and the participants invoked his intercession to guide the Society’s witness of communion.

The gathering united 21 participants for a week of prayer, discernment, and strategic planning. Attendees included the Superior General, Fr Anselmo Ribeiro SVD, and his Council, the Coordinators of the four Characteristic Dimensions and the Zonal Coordinators. Rounding out the leadership team were the Procurator General, Secretary General, and Treasurer General, alongside the Secretaries for Formation, Education, and Brothers.

In his opening address, Fr Anselmo noted that the team had moved beyond the initial momentum of the General Chapter and is now in a phase that requires clear thinking and perseverance.

"We have arrived at the moment to assess our activities in light of the action plans we have adopted," Fr Anselmo said. "We do so ... without losing sight of the search for a shared vision regarding our resources, the exercise of a collegial method of leadership, and constant attention to the social, ecclesial, and missionary context."

A central pillar of the gathering was the ongoing formation theme: "SVD Leadership in a Synodal Church." To deepen this reflection, the caucus welcomed Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, former Provincial of the Australia Province.

Having participated in the Synodal event in Rome, Fr Rass shared his firsthand experience and insights with the leadership team, emphasising the urgent need to implement specific synodal characteristics into SVD leadership structures globally.

The meeting solidified the Generalate’s commitment to a leadership method that is collegial, participatory, and deeply attentive to the Missio Dei (Mission of God).

PHOTOS:

TOP RIGHT: St Arnold Janssen, the founder of the Society of the Divine Word and St Joseph Freinademetz, one of the SVD first two missionaries, to China.

MIDDLE LEFT: Fr Joseph Reddy SVD and Fr Manh Le SVD with parishioners at Good Shepherd parish in Townsville after celebrating Mass for the feast day of St Arnold Janssen.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Fr Deva Savariyappan SVD celebrated the feast day Mass at the Chapel of the Sisters of St Joseph of Apparition in Hmawbi, Myanmar.

BOTTOM LEFT: Members of the SVD global leadership team at the 3rd SVD Caucus in Rome.