Steyler Missionare

What Steyler Missionare does

Steyler Missionare (formally Gesellschaft des Göttlichen Wortes / Societas Verbi Divini, SVD) is a Catholic missionary religious order founded on September 8, 1875 by Arnold Janssen in Steyl, Netherlands. The order operates approximately 5,600 priests, brothers, and novices drawn from 76 countries, serving in 77 countries through a federated structure of approximately 70 provinces. Its core activity is Catholic pastoral care: establishing and administering parishes, conducting missionary outreach to diaspora communities (Filipino, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Polish, African), providing chaplaincy services (e.g., Caritas-Klinik St. Anna in Berlin), and conducting justice-peace-integrity-of-creation (JPIC) programs. The German Province, one of ~70 worldwide, is headquartered in Sankt Augustin and operates nine community locations across Germany plus the historic motherhouse in Steyl. The order also operates a structured formation system (Missionspriesterseminar Sankt Augustin, German-language novitiate in Berlin) and three scholarly research institutes: the Anthropos Institute (anthropology/ethnography, founded 1931), the Steyler Missionswissenschaftliches Institut (missiology, founded 1962), and Institut Monumenta Serica (China cultural studies, founded 1935 in Beijing, relocated to Sankt Augustin in 1972).

The business model is that of a registered German charitable nonprofit (gemeinnützige Organisation). Revenue is generated through individual donations and project funding appeals, Messstipendien (mass offering stipends for priests in mission countries), estate planning donations, a media apostolate producing the monthly 'Leben jetzt' magazine and calendars distributed across Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands via the Steyler Klosterladen e-commerce platform, modest guest accommodation revenue (e.g., Heilig-Geist-Kolleg Berlin at €45–90/night), and the Steyler Ethik Bank — a regulated ethical banking subsidiary. Customer/donor relationships are cultivated through approximately 60 Steyler Friends and Partner circles across Germany and Switzerland, an online chapel, retreats at Centrum St. Michael in Steyl, and events including World Mission Sunday and estate planning seminars. The order's family of related entities includes the Steyler Missionsschwestern (SSpS, ~3,000 women in 44 countries) and Steyler Anbetungsschwestern (SSpSAP, ~300 in 20 convents), plus affiliated lay supporters.

Notable institutional signals include recent leadership transitions (P. Anselmo Ricardo Ribeiro SVD elected 13th Superior General in July 2024, succeeding P. Paulus Budi Kleden who was named Archbishop of Ende), German Province leadership under Provincial P. Peter Claver Narh SVD (since May 2023), a new triennium of local superiors installed in mid-2026, and a pattern of asset divestitures (sale of Missionshaus St. Peter Tirschenreuth in 2008, transfer of Studienkolleg St. Johann Blönried in 2008 and community dissolution in 2013, transfer of Missionsmuseum Steyl to a foundation in 2015, and the 2020 spin-off of the theology institution into the Kölner Hochschule für Katholische Theologie) that together indicate deliberate contraction of the German Province's direct institutional footprint while concentrating resources on core missionary, formation, and media operations.

Name

Steyler Missionare

Legal name

Gesellschaft des Göttlichen Wortes (Societas Verbi Divini)

Website

https://steyler.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steyler Missionare is the German Province of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), a Catholic missionary religious order founded in 1875. It operates across nine German locations providing parish pastoral care, migrant and diaspora ministry, priestly formation, scholarly research, and a media apostolate, funded by donations, mass stipends, and a banking subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Missionary Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Catholic missionary services
• Religious publishing media
• Pastoral care ministry
• Theological research institute
• Ethical banking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sankt Augustin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Steyler Missionare receive donations from individuals supporting their missionary work, formation of priests and brothers, care for elderly members, communication projects, and missionary support. As a recognized charitable organization (gemeinnützige Organisation), they issue donation confirmations annually. Donations support specific projects or general mission work.
2. Messstipendien (Mass Offering Donations): Steyler Missionare in mission countries celebrate masses on behalf of donors who cannot have masses celebrated locally. These mass offerings (Messstipendien) provide livelihood support for priests in mission areas and fulfill the original purpose of such donations.
3. Steyler Ethik Bank (Ethical Banking): Steyler Ethik Bank is a financial institution operated by the order that emphasizes ethical principles of justice and environmental responsibility. It serves as both a banking service and a revenue-generating entity.
4. Publication Sales: Revenue from selling publications including the 'Leben jetzt' monthly magazine, Michaelskalender, Tischkalender, Bildkalender, books, and religious media through the Steyler Klosterladen (monastery shop) e-commerce platform.
5. Guest Accommodation Revenue: The Heilig-Geist-Kolleg in Berlin offers 8 guest rooms with 17 beds. Pricing: single room €45, double room €65, family room €90, plus 5% Berlin accommodation tax and €8 breakfast per person.
6. Steyler Mission Germany (Förderverein): The charitable organization Steyler Mission Germany raises funds and coordinates support for missionary projects worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Steyler Missionare (Societas Verbi Divini, SVD) is a Catholic missionary religious order founded in 1875 by Arnold Janssen that delivers Catholic pastoral care, missionary work, and spiritual formation through approximately 70 provinces in 77 countries. The order operates parishes, seminaries, retreat houses, and migrant ministries, and runs a media apostolate producing the monthly 'Leben jetzt' magazine, calendars, books, and audio-visual content, alongside research institutes (Anthropos, Monumenta Serica, Missionswissenschaftliches Institut) and an ethical banking subsidiary (Steyler Ethik Bank).

Product overview

Steyler Missionare operates primarily as a religious missionary organization with a focused portfolio of media and publication products. The core offerings include the 'Leben jetzt' monthly magazine available in print and ePaper formats, along with various calendars (Michaelskalender, Tischkalender, and Bildkalender) sold through the Steyler Klosterladen e-commerce platform. The organization also publishes specialized religious materials and provides access to spiritual content through its digital platforms. These products serve the missionary and pastoral mission of the organization by spreading Catholic teachings and supporting faith formation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leben jetzt: Monthly magazine published by Steyler Missionaries covering spiritual, community, and missionary topics
• Steyler Ethik Bank
• Steyler Bank
• Steyler Buchhandlung
• Steyler Klosterladen
• Centrum St. Michael
• Anthropos Institut
• Steyler Missionswissenschaftliches Institut
• Institut Monumenta Serica
• China-Zentrum
• Vivat International

Products and services

• Leben jetzt

Quantifiable outcome

• Steyler Missionare operate in 77 countries with ~5,600 members from 76 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic Dioceses and Local ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1875Steyler Missionare work in partnership with local Catholic dioceses and churches worldwide. Missionaries are placed in parishes, schools, hospitals, and mission territories under the authority of local bishops. This partnership is foundational to the order's missionary mandate and operational model.
• Kölner Hochschule für Katholische Theologie (KHKT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule St. Augustin transitioned in 2020 into the Kölner Hochschule für Katholische Theologie (KHKT), which now serves as the primary theological education provider for Steyler Missionare seminarians and students. This represents a formal academic partnership for priestly and theological formation.
• China-Zentrum e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe China-Zentrum e.V. is located at the Sankt Augustin campus alongside the Steyler Missionare. It promotes understanding and exchange between China and German-speaking countries, aligning with the order's historical commitment to China missions and cultural scholarship.
• Schulstiftung (School Foundation) — OberschwabenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2008, the Steyler Missionare transferred the Studienkolleg St. Johann Blönried to a school foundation, maintaining pastoral presence while the foundation operates the educational institution. This partnership allows the order to focus on spiritual mission while the foundation manages secular education.
• Diocese of DresdencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince June 2020, Steyler Missionare administer the newly founded parish 'Selige Märtyrer vom Münchner Platz Dresden,' a partnership with the Diocese of Dresden comprising four merged parishes. The community is dedicated to Blessed Brother Grzegorz Frackowiak SVD.
• Steyler Missionsschwestern (SSpS) and Steyler Anbetungsschwestern (SSpSAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe three Steyler congregations — Steyler Missionare (SVD), Steyler Missionsschwestern (SSpS, ~3,000 women in 44 countries), and Steyler Anbetungsschwestern (SSpSAP, ~300 members in 20 convents) — form the Steyler Familie, cooperating spiritually, financially, and operationally. They share the spirituality of founder Arnold Janssen and support each other's mission.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pallottiner (Society of the Catholic Apostolate): Catholic missionary society founded in Germany with comparable parish, migrant, and formation ministry, especially in German-speaking contexts.
• Benediktiner (Order of Saint Benedict): Catholic monastic order combining contemplative life, scholarship, and hospitality (retreat houses) — overlapping with Steyler's retreat centers and research institutes.
• Dominikaner (Order of Preachers): Catholic preaching and teaching order with worldwide provinces, scholarly publishing, and parish ministry comparable to Steyler Missionare's academic and pastoral mix.
• Spiritaner (Congregation of the Holy Spirit): Catholic missionary congregation with strong African and Asian presence, comparable intercultural formation model, and parish-based missionary work.
• Missionare von Mariannhill (Missionaries of Mariannhill): Catholic missionary order focused on Africa, with similar German-speaking origins, parish and formation work, and donor-dependent funding model.
• Franziskaner (Order of Friars Minor): Major Catholic mendicant missionary order with global presence, parish work, and formation pipelines comparable to Steyler Missionare.
• Redemptoristen (Redemptorists): Catholic missionary congregation emphasizing popular preaching and parish missions, with comparable German provincial presence and donor-funded structure.
• Salesianer Don Boscos (Salesians of Don Bosco): Catholic missionary order focused on youth education and pastoral work across multiple continents, with similar provincial structures, publishing arms, and donor-dependent revenue.
• Jesuiten (Society of Jesus): The largest Catholic male religious order, with a global missionary and educational mission similar to SVD. Both operate provinces, universities, and parishes worldwide and share a comparable governance and vow structure.

Broad incumbents

• Kapuziner (Order of Friars Minor Capuchin): Large Catholic mendicant order with broad parish, retreat, and pastoral presence in German-speaking regions, overlapping with Steyler's local ministry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/steyler.missionare
• Instagraminstagram.com/steyler.missionare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steyler-missionare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steyler Missionare