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 missions for women.

Janssen was born in Goch, Germany, near the Dutch border. 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 .

St. Janssen also founded two congregations of religious Sisters: The Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (members known as "Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit") in December, 1889, and the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration ("Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration") in 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.

The saint was canonized due to the miraculous healing of a Philippine teenager living in Baguio who fell down on a bike and was not expected to recover from a head wound. Following prayers to St Arnold, she was healed.

External links

• Biography - Society of the Divine Word (http://www.svd.org/arnold.html)
• Biography - Vatican News Service (http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20031005_janssen_en.html)