On December 8, 1881, German priest Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan founded the Society of the Divine Savior, widely known as the Salvatorians, in Rome.
With it, he wished to help all Christians, not just clergy, to be properly prepared to deeply live their faith.
The priest was born in a poor family in southern Germany and lost his father as a child. Jordan studied during difficult times, when the government strongly pushed for secularization. The future cleric thus joined a Catholic movement helping Christians strengthen their faith. There, he began to feel the urge to found his own apostolic organization.
FR. MILTON ZONTA
Superior General, Society of the Divine Savior
“There are two elements that I like a lot about Fr. Jordan. Fr. Jordan was a deeply spiritual man, like so many saints in the Church who inspire us and are necessary in today's times. Another element I see in Fr. Jordan is his apostolic passion. He had a fire inside of him, a burning that never died. He always wanted to do more and believed he could do things better.”
This is the Salvatorian headquarters, near the Vatican. Fr. Jordan purchased the property, which houses his tomb in one of the chapels as well as objects he used.
Fr. Jordan showed great concern for cities' peripheries and the marginalized. From here, they oversee missions and projects in 43 countries. The congregation is characterized by the formation of its members and by living close to the most needy.
FR. MILTON ZONTA
Superior General, Society of the Divine Savior
“Lay Christians have a very important role. Today, we understand our mission as that of helping all people, everyone in every place, to get to know Jesus Christ and make Him known. The academic formation is fundamental for us, but we also greatly emphasize the spiritual formation of religious men, men of God.”
In August and September, the Salvatorians will meet in Germany to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Fr. Jordan's death.
They dream of recovering the apostolic vision of their founder, based on great spirituality and passion. There, they will also analyze the work carried out in the last six years, develop a future strategy and elect new superiors of the congregation.
