Mission Statement

 

Divine Word College, a Roman Catholic seminary in the tradition of the Society of the Divine Word, educates men and women for missionary service as priests, Brothers, Sisters and laypersons. For this purpose, we offer an education that combines spiritual formation, a liberal arts curriculum, language learning and mission preparation within an environment that teaches and honors the rich cultural diversity of the world. This spiritual, academic, and experiential preparation serves the particular learning needs of our students, promotes their development as whole and responsible persons, and fosters a lifelong commitment to serving God’s people.

 

Core Beliefs of Divine Word College

 

Divine Word College embodies and gives expression to several beliefs fundamental to the Society of the Divine Word.

  • The Church is missionary by its very nature.
  • God calls some to give special witness to the Church’s missionary mandate.
  • The missionary charism of the Society of the Divine Word, its history, heritage and hopes, is a significant contribution to the Church’s missionary outreach.
  • Service to the local churches through apostolic ministry demands the proper education and spiritual formation of future missionaries.

Core Values of Divine Word College

Diversity - Student recruitment efforts, the cross-cultural major, the spiritual formation program, co-curricular activities, and the international teaching experience of the faculty foster and support cultural diversity at Divine Word College. Students, faculty, staff and friends of the college grow in cross-cultural community reflecting the strong international mission of the Society of the Divine Word.

Opportunity - A program of generous scholarship assistance, an English as Second Language Institute, a low teacher-student ratio and other academic supports meet the learning needs of Divine Word College students, especially those from immigrant and refugee communities. This commitment of College resources demonstrates an historic interest of the Society of the Divine Word in the United States in enabling the marginalized to assume their rightful place within the Church.

Community – Active involvement by members of the Society of the Divine Word in the life of the College, the organization of students into small faith communities, the Friends Across Nations program, and the interdependence among departments and personnel foster a close-knit community at Divine Word College. College personnel in community portray the determination of the priests and brothers of the Society of the Divine Word to build community among themselves, their collaborators and those they seek to serve.

Spiritual Growth – An integrated program of spiritual direction, group retreats, daily and special liturgies, and regular prayer opportunities support Divine Word College students, faculty, staff, and friends in the discernment of their call to follow Jesus Christ. While pursued within community, spiritual growth is highly and intensely personal.

Service – An apostolic ministries outreach to the elderly at area nursing homes, to the poor in homeless shelters and at soup kitchens, to youth in religious education programs, and to disabled children in local care facilities are important aspects of Divine Word College’s efforts to follow the example of Jesus Christ who came “not to be served, but to serve.” Students and faculty members regularly put themselves at the service of the local and regional community.

Integrity – honesty in academic policies and practices, respect for each student’s freedom in vocational discernment, the provision of just compensation and fair treatment for employees, and an adherence to high ethical standards in fundraising efforts and financial reporting help ensure that Divine Word College lives its mission and delivers on its promise.

Lifelong Learning – A liberal arts program opens students to new worlds of information and broadens intellectual horizons. Carefully designed curricula in general education, philosophy and cross-cultural studies lead students to an appreciation of the complex and changing social environments of our time. Course offerings to the public, to interested non-traditional students, signal the necessity of ongoing education. The Divine Word College community understands that effective religious and missionary service requires a commitment to lifelong learning.
 

Vision Statement

Divine Word College seeks to marshal the resources necessary to sustain an educational experience that serves the learning needs of its students, brings about a strong grounding in the liberal arts, appropriately integrates academic and spiritual formation, promotes a lived appreciation of cultural diversity, and contributes meaningfully to the well-being of the local community. Toward these ends, the College community commits itself to the following goals and priorities.

  • Increasing enrollment in seminary and special programs beyond current levels
  • Providing a quality undergraduate education grounded in the liberal arts
  • Providing seminary formation as outlined in the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ statements in the Program of Priestly Formation and SVD documents
  • Practicing stewardship by providing just compensation to lay staff, careful husbanding of resources, and increasing financial independence through more intense development efforts and enhanced endowment opportunities
  • Improving facilities at the Epworth campus through a program of scheduled maintenance and a future modest building program

Sharing the international mission of the Society of the Divine Word and the College with external constituencies through a series of special cultural and educational events, school visits, support groups, and short-term visits to the College by external groups.