Divine Word College
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(1909–1932)
St. Paul's Mission House
(1932–1960)
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Former name | St. Mary's Seminary (1909–1932) St. Paul's Mission House (1932–1960) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private seminary |
| Established | 1964 |
| Founder | Society of the Divine Word |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission[1] |
Religious affiliation | Catholic Church (Divine Word Missionaries) |
Academic affiliations | [2] |
| President | Thomas Ascheman[3][4] |
| Location | , , United States 42°26′N 90°56′W / 42.44°N 90.93°W |
| Website | www |
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Divine Word College is a private undergraduate Roman Catholic seminary in Epworth, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1964, It educates students for missionary service in the Catholic Church as priests, brothers, sisters, and laypersons. It is owned and operated by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
Founded in 1875 in Steyl, the Netherlands, the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) sent the first Divine Word Missionary, Joseph Freinademetz to China by 1879. In 1895, Wendelin Meyer went to America.[5] By 1909, the society had established the first seminary in the United States with the mission of training priest and brother candidates for service in foreign missions. The Society of the Divine Word originally established a Divine Word Seminary in 1912 at Techny, Illinois. In 1931, the society purchased property in Epworth, Iowa,[6] where it established St. Paul's Mission House, an SVD high school seminary. In 1964, Divine Word College replaced the high school seminary and has since served as the principal site of SVD undergraduate seminary education in the United States.[7][8]
