102 Jacoby Drive
PO Box 380
Epworth, Iowa 52045-0380

Divine Word College is an undergraduate Roman Catholic seminary dedicated to preparing young men for missionary service. At this Epworth, Iowa, seminary, students can earn a four-year B.A. degree or a two-year A.A. degree majoring in either cross-cultural studies or philosophy.

Divine Word calls young men who are willing to consider a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience to serve wherever they will be needed most through a lifetime of service as a missionary priest or brother.

At Divine Word College, students combine traditional classroom study with life experiences gained through activities like apostolic ministry. For students who require it, Divine Word College provides an English as a second language (ESL) program for success in their degree programs.

Divine Word College educates missionaries who want to belong to a fraternal community that Christ has called together from many different nations and cultures. The Society of the Divine Word was founded by Saint Arnold Janssen in 1875 in Holland. Society members work first and foremost where the Gospel has not yet been preached and where the local Church is not yet viable on its own.

Quick Facts:

6000 Divine Word Missionaries seek to live Saint Arnold's original inspiration in 66 countries.

Divine Word College is a short drive west of the city of Dubuque, Iowa.

The College traces its roots back to 1931.

The Christian Development Program helps a student to grow in personal maturity, relationship to community, relationship with Christ, and religious missionary vocation.

The Apostolic Activities Program promotes visiting the elderly, working with the mentally and physically challenged, offering hospitality to those in need, and serving area Latino and Vietnamese communities.

Each student has a Spiritual Director who encourages the student to develop personal prayer and to continue discerning his vocational call.

Music ministry and liturgical ministries such as lector, acolyte, sacristan, Eucharistic minister, cantors, and minister of hospitality are performed by students according to their talents and abilities.

The senior pre-novitiate year prepares a student to enter the novitiate following graduation. Pre-novitiates reside at a separate residence on campus with an atmosphere of quiet to allow for reflection, prayer, and studies.

Students have access to a professional counselor on campus.

This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.