Nemi: Divine missionaries and missionary councils

(Vatican Radio) First founded in a disused Dutch pub by a refugee from anti-catholic persecution in Germany, the missionary order that grew from one man’s dream and gave the Universal Church two Saints, its’ first Chinese cardinal and African-American bishop, is about to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to its second home, where during the 1960’s some of the greatest Church theologians gathered to discuss and elaborate the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

When Pope Benedict XVI arrives at the International Ad Gentes Centre of the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD - Societas Verbi Divini) in Nemi on Monday, he will see in the words of newly elected SVD Superior General, Fr. Heinz Kulüke “the internationality of our Church alive”. Listen to Emer McCarthy's full interview with Fr. Kulüke:

Currently at the centre - a red bricked complex perched above Nemi lake in the midst of the Castelli Romani national Park - are 125 Capitulars from over 42 countries around the globe. For the past month they have been gathered in General Chapter. Pope Benedict has come to address the men of one of the Universal Churches’ fastest growing orders, whose mission from the outset has been to bring Christ to every person in every nation.

Born in Germany in 1956, with over 25 years of missionary experience in the Philippines, Fr. Kulüke reveals that first and foremost the visit is a historical one for the Pope: “When the present Ad gentes centre was built 50 years ago the present Pope was a young theologian and as a young theologian he was part of what started here in the Ad gentes centre. As it is known, part of the documents of the Second Vatican Council were first elaborated and also partially also written here in the Ad gentes centre”. In 1964 the Nemi centre was chosen as the venue for the deliberations of the “editorial committee” which prepared the draft of Vatican II’s decree on the “Missionary Activity of the Church,” Ad Gentes.

However, Fr. Kulüke continues, it also takes place within the vision of the upcoming Synod on New Evangelisation: “What is unique about the SVD is the internationality and inter-cultural nature of its charism. We want to show to the Pope that his Church, Our Church, is an international Church and that is how we want the Society to be, this is how we envision our world, people of different cultures living a meaningful life together in harmony as people of God”.

The Order, or Society as members refer to it, has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a disused pub in the small Dutch hamlet of Steyl in 1875. SVD Founder Fr. Arnold Jansen had found refuge there from the repression of harsh anti-Catholic laws passed by the German government. He was soon joined by a small number of priests and laymen and set up a mission house with one aim: to spread the Gospel in foreign lands.

Over the course of a century, the society has grown from strength to strength. 7,000 Divine Word Missionaries in 70 countries today continue the work of Saint Arnold, living among the people, listening to their needs and helping everyone hear the voice of God.

The Society has also notched up many firsts, such as the first Chinese Cardinal, Thomas Cardinal Tien Ken-sin SVD, Archbishop of Beijing as well as the first African-American bishop in the United States, Bishop Harold Perry. Jansen was canonized in 2003 by Pope John Paul II, alongside one of the most famous SVD missionaries St. Joseph Freinademetz, who lived, witnessed to the Gospel and died in China.

In 2010 Pope Benedict XVI visited the birthplace of Freinademetz, Oies, high in the Italian Alps [seen in photo signing guestbook at Freinademetz's natal house-ed] . In off the cuff remarks, he referred to the relevance of St. Joseph Freinademetz’s testimony in opening the great Chinese nation to the Gospel – a theme dear to Pope Benedict’s heart. A testimony, he said, that strengthens the faith of every believer – in China as elsewhere.

“What is unique about the SVD’s is our international and intercultural charism”, says Fr. Kulüke “Freinademetz used to say that entering a foreign culture we should remove our shoes in a sign of respect, because God was there before us. Freinademetz shows us how we should be missionaries, we should be open to God’s word, to an encounter with God in a foreign culture which is often not Christian. What counts is our lived example, following the Lord as he lived recounted in the Gospel”.

In short, the Society is a living example of mission Ad gentes in action, first proposed by the very Vatican II document drawn up at its international centre with the input of then Theologian Joseph Ratzinger.

And Arnold Jansens’ men are still reaping the fruits of this mission to the people, for the people and with the people, today, in the most unlikely places:

“At this point in time our biggest number of vocations are in Indonesia, with over 25% of our congregation members who hail from Indonesia, so that’s a very unique phenomenon” concludes Fr. Kulüke. “We are very grateful to God for so many vocations from Asia, in principal we cannot explain it, it is just a grace for which we are very grateful”.