Rozwój organizacyjno-administracyjny Zgromadzenia Słowa Bożego (1875-2025)
Organizational and Administrative Development of the Congregation of the Divine Word (1875-2025)

Summary/Abstract: The article outlines the development of the organisation and administration of the Missionary Society of the Divine Word over its 150-year history (1875-2025). Firstly, it presents the profile of the Founder, Fr. Arnold Janssen, his missionary charism, and the influence of both factors on the territorial organisation and centralised model of administration of the Divine Word Missionaries. This model integrally combined the supremacy of preaching with the complementary charism of teaching and scholarly activity. In the second part, the author presents the chronological development of the organisational and administrative structures of the Congregation under successive General Superiors – the successors of the Founder. The presentation highlights the close interdependence between the personalities of the general superiors and their management styles. The territorial expansion of the Congregation’s missions was accompanied by the establishment of administrative units and a gradual elevation of their status. The centralised model of organisation and management of the Assembly provided the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart with consistency in their actions and became a driving force behind the dynamic development of missionary work across five continents. The consequence of this development was the internationalisation of the Congregation in a process not without tensions. The post-conciliar period, in keeping with the spirit of the times, initiated a new trend towards the decentralisation of the Congregation, including the creation of a model of continental zones aimed at deepening the collegiality of governance and inculturation in missionary work.

• Details
• Contents