“Communication at its most profound level is the giving of self in love and consequently a basic attitude necessary for us Divine Word Missionaries” (c. 115)

Arnold Janssen, by his missionary zeal, was a real communicator of his day. Besides attracting and inspiring others with his great missionary ideal through inter-personal communication, he was well able to use the mass media communication of his day, the press. Through the magazine, The Little Messenger of the Heart of Jesus, Arnold promoted his missionary ideas, attracted co-workers, and collected funds for his foundation. He once said, “The pastor of souls must use every means which the signs of the time dictate”.

Arnold Janssen was clearly aware that communication could not be reduced to just the mass media. His personal contact with the first confreres and with those who would later be the co-founders of the sister congregations; his constant contact by letter with the missionaries whom he had sent to different countries; his ‘door to door’ program, where traveling Brothers would spend their holidays winning over subscribers to the magazine; the promotion of anthropological, ethnological and linguistic studies at the service of the mission - all these are testimonies to the importance he gave to inter- personal, group and inter-cultural communication.

The mission history of our Society shows how well this initial thrust of the Founder was followed by its members. A variety of communication ministries sprang up as a product of our SVD presence and became something of a trademark in our apostolic approach in different parts of the world.

Courtesy: Communication Policy in SVD