The death of the Founder evoked in the members of the newly founded congregations, a triple mandate marked by fidelity to “his spirit”: 1) The demand to keep alive the memory of Arnold Janssen was the reason to write a short biography; 2) To continue his work in his spirit was no longer an option but an inalienable duty. 3) This motivating force opened the way to continue expanding the missionary work in the spirit of the Founder. This biographical work about Arnold Janssen is the fruit of the dedication and exhaustive work of Fr. Josef Alt, SVD based on research of existing biographical works. His numerous articles and publications lend credibility and scientific authority to this work that collects all aspects of the life and missionary work of Arnold Janssen. It was written in the context of the Beatification of the Founder and responds to the Church’s call for a profound renewal, reformulation and updating of the founding charism.
The themes related to the life and missionary work of the Founder, like precious pearls, make up an artistic mosaic that will be a source of inspiration and evoke a renewed missionary spirit.
Acting in the spirit of the Founder becomes tangible in the way that a person lives and creates and in the principles that guide their efforts and decisions. We hope that this publication will encourage every reader, challenging them to be bold and restless, to move out of their usual ways of acting, so as to venture down unknown paths and to creatively explore new ways of mission in the spirit of the Founder.