Saint Arnold Janssen - Evangelist, founder of Society of the Divine Word.
Born in Goch, Rhine, Germany, 5 Nov 1837; died at Steyl, Holland, 15 Jan 1909. Arnold was a brilliant student at the University of Bonn, distinguished in botany and qualified for professorship at 22. At 24 he was ordained. For 14 years, father Janssen taught science and catechism, was a chaplain, director and publisher.

Miracle attributed to Saint Arnold Janssen: Pamela Avellanosa, 14 a 1995 accident victim. After surgery the doctors were certain she would be in a vegetative state at best.

In 1870 Germany, Bismarck set up the "Kulturkampf"to eliminate the church's influence in civil matters. Anti-catholic laws, expulsion, imprisonment of the clergy, and the closing of religious schools was enacted.

Arnold used an old inn at Steyl, Nederland to set up a seminary and start the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in 1875. Through his publishing, he was able to attract German priests for missionary work. The mandate of SVD is to work in areas where the Gospel has not been preached or the local Church needs support. Early missionary work concentrated on the Far East, led in China by Joseph Freinademetz. On October 19, 1975 Pope Paul VI beatified Arnold Janssen; on October 5, 2003 Pope John Paul II canonized him.

other famous Janssen: aristocrat, artists, astronomer, economist, inventor, politcians, saint, and scientist.