About Us
The Society of the Divine Word: a worldwide family of missionaries, founded in 1875 in Steyl and serving today in more than seventy countries.
Discover the Society →Divine Word Missionaries
Papua New Guinea · Since 1896
For 130 years the Society of the Divine Word has walked, paddled and flown alongside the people of Papua New Guinea, sharing the Word, building schools and health centres, and growing a local church.
1875 · Founded in Steyl
13 August 1896 · Landing at Madang
104 · Members in PNG, 2024
Who we are
A Catholic missionary family of priests and brothers, born in Steyl in 1875 and serving today in more than seventy countries — and in Papua New Guinea since 1896.
Known as the Verbites, the Steyler Missionaries or simply the Divine Word Missionaries, we are international by design: mission areas are the responsibility of the whole Society.
That is why a missionary from India or Poland can find himself serving a parish in the Highlands, side by side with Papua New Guineans.
The Society of the Divine Word: a worldwide family of missionaries, founded in 1875 in Steyl and serving today in more than seventy countries.
Discover the Society →Our mission in Papua New Guinea: from the first landing at Madang in 1896 to parishes, schools, media and a university today.
See our work in PNG →A mission that climbed
1896
Six missionaries led by Fr Eberhard Limbrock reach Madang on 13 August 1896 and soon settle on Tumleo Island.
1900s
Stations and schools spread along the north coast and up the Sepik and Ramu rivers; the Holy Spirit Sisters join the work in 1906.
1934
After the Wahgi Valley is spotted from the air in 1933, missionaries set out from Wilya with local helpers and open stations in the Highlands.
Today
More than 100 Divine Word Missionaries from 14 countries serve in parishes, schools, health, media and formation.
By the numbers
1875
The Society of the Divine Word is founded in Steyl, the Netherlands
1896
The first Divine Word Missionaries land at Madang
130
Years of mission in Papua New Guinea in 2026
800+
Languages spoken across PNG, one of the most culturally diverse nations on earth
Each page tells one part of the story, with its sources listed at the end.
Education →
Parishes →
Wantok, radio, research →
Our story in Papua New Guinea →
The Society of the Divine Word →