St. Arnold Janssen
In 1837, St. Arnold Janssen was born in Goch, Rhineland. Raised with a profound devotion to religion, he became a priest in 1861, and began teaching math and science. St. Arnold began to notice the spiritual needs of people outside of his own diocese. He decided to encourage the German church to expand its missionary responsibilities. Once he realized God’s call, St. Arnold resigned from teaching and launched The Little Messenger of the Sacred Heart, a monthly magazine containing articles about missionary activities.
During this time, Bismark passed a succession of anti-Catholic laws. Many priests were expelled and bishops imprisoned. St. Arnold stayed true to his calling, and with the help of many bishops, he created the Divine Word Missionaries in 1875, the Servants of the Holy Spirit in 1889, and the Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration in 1896. St. Arnold passed in 1909, being recognized for his tenacity and hard work.
