Arnold Janssen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Arnold of Soissons.
Saint Arnold Janssen
Saint Arnold Janssen
Born 5 November 1837(1837-11-05), Goch, Germany
Died 15 January 1909 (aged 71)
Venerated in Roman Catholicism
Canonized 5 October 2003, Rome by John Paul II
Feast
Saints Portal

Saint Arnold Janssen (November 5, 1837 – January 15, 1909) was a Roman Catholic priest best known for founding the mission Society of the Divine Word, the members of which are known as "Divine Word Missionaries", and two congregations for women.

Janssen was born in Goch, Germany, near the Dutch border and attended the Roman Catholic boarding school Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck. He was ordained a priest in 1861. Janssen purchased land in Steyl (Netherlands) to begin his seminary, dedicated in 1875 as "St. Michael the Archangel Mission House". Within a few years, many seminarians, priests and brothers were preparing for missionary service there, and the first two missionaries, Joseph Freinademetz and John Anzer, were sent to China. Janssen also founded two congregations of religious Sisters: The Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (members known as "Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit") in December 8, 1889, and the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters ("Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration") in September 8, 1896.

He and Joseph Freinademetz were canonized on October 5, 2003 by Pope John Paul II, as was Daniele Comboni, an important missionary in Africa. Janssen was canonized after the healing of a Filipino teenager living in Baguio who fell down on a bike and was not expected to recover from a head wound. According to her relatives and the Church, she was healed miraculously following prayers to Janssen.

[edit] External links

 This article about a saint is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.