For 150 years, Divine Word Missionaries have brought the light of Christ to communities around the world through a missionary life of service. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Arnold Janssen founded the Divine Word Missionaries to share the Word of God with those most in need. Today, nearly 6,000 missionaries serve in 79 countries, acting as the hands and feet of Christ in some of the most desolate corners of the earth.

To commemorate this legacy, we launched a special initiative to mark our 150th anniversary: a global effort to build 150 wells and water systems in the world’s most vulnerable communities. 

San Pedro del Paraná,

Paraguay 📍

In the region of San Pedro del Paraná, Paraguay, access to clean water is severely limited. Finding water safe enough to drink, bathe in and cook with remains a daily struggle for families here. 

Recognizing the overwhelming need, Father Viet Hoang SVD and community members jump-started an initiative to bring accessible, clean water close to home. Through the generosity of benefactors giving to the 150 Water Well Project, community members began drawing the blueprints for a gift that would be truly life-changing.

Fr. Viet designed a plan to install 10 water tanks, providing families with access to a reliable source of clean water. Each tank will serve 12 families, meaning 120 families will be relieved of the immensely heavy burden of carrying water home each day.

The tanks will be installed on the local parish property. Families will pay for and lay the concrete foundation for each tank themselves. Additionally, community members will collectively manage water usage and maintenance. 

Through this project, safe water will be accessible, and the San Pedro del Paraná community will grow stronger.

Nizampet, India 📍

In 2019, Divine Word Missionaries opened the Arnold Bala Vikasa Ashram Home in the village of Nizampet, India, to provide shelter and stability for 25 orphaned children. 

This home provides a safe place to sleep, grow and learn; however, the orphanage still lacks running water. Without easy access to clean water, these children struggle to bathe, wash dishes and keep clothes clean, relying instead on sporadic rainfall in a region where water grows scarcer by the day.

Together with our community partners and empowered by our goal to build 150 wells in honor of our 150th anniversary, our missionaries plan to drill a bore well, install a submersible pump and set up a rooftop tank to deliver clean water around the clock. By providing this gift, we will provide these children with the water they need to grow in health, dignity and, above all, hope.