DIVINE WORD MISSIONARY

member of Society of the Divine Word (S.V.D.) a Roman Catholic religious organization, composed of priests and brothers, founded in 1875 at Steyl, Neth., by Arnold Janssen to work in the foreign missions. Its members are engaged in all phases of missionary activity, from teaching in universities, colleges, and secondary schools to working among primitive peoples. In the late 20th century they were located in 14 European countries, in North and South America, Africa, Australia, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan. The training of a native clergy has been a major work of the society in all its missions. Divine Word Missionaries have traditionally been active in publishing and disseminating Catholic literature. Some members, notably Wilhelm Schmidt, a German anthropologist, have made valuable contributions in the fields of anthropology and ethnology.