Our Province
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Welcome to the Southern Province of the Society of the Divine Word
The Province Office is located on the beautiful property of St. Augustine Seminary in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Its landscape is lined with ancient trees and illustrious views, coupled with a peaceful, yet serene atmosphere. The facilities are a mere walk to the beautiful beaches of Bay St. Louis, MS.
We are the home base for the Southern Province of the Society of the Divine Word. Popularly referred to as the Divine Word Missionaries, The Society of the Divine Word began in 1875 in Steyl, Holland by Saint Arnold Janssen.
Working in more than 70 countries and on every continent except Antarctica, Divine Word Missionaries is one of the largest religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church with nearly 7,000 members worldwide.
In 1905 the Divine Word Missionaries began work in African American parishes in Mississippi. In the midst of much opposition, these farsighted opened a seminary specifically to train African Americans for the priesthood. Their dreams and efforts would change the American Catholic Church.
In the United States the Divine Word Missionaries serve in a variety of ministries. In our Southern Province we staff African American parishes and Hispanic parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, and Florida.
