A dozen miles west of Dubuque, Iowa and the Mississippi River, on the southern edge of Epworth on U.S. 20, you will find a massive structure that spans the length of three football fields, fronted by a line of brightly colored national flags representing countries from around the world.
Welcome to Divine Word College, the only Roman Catholic undergraduate seminary in the U.S. dedicated to educating men and women for missionary service. It is owned and operated by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), the largest missionary congregation of men in the Catholic Church.
The primary goal of Divine Word College is to help young men discover if God is calling them to religious life as a Divine Word Missionary priest or brother. Founded in Steyl, Netherlands, in 1875, today there are almost 6000 Divine Word Missionaries working in more than 70 countries.
Divine Word College Seminary combines a liberal arts education with spiritual formation and mission preparation, adhering to the teachings of the Catholic Church and the directives of the U.S. Council of Bishops. The college also offers a certified and well-established English as a Second Language (ESL) program through its Intensive English Language Institute.
Our enrollment is typically 100+ full time students who come from as many as 20 countries on virtually every continent. Dedicated to the concept of interculturality and the strength it brings to the education of missionaries, our students include Catholic seminarians, men and women in vows and laypersons.
Whether you'd like to become a student here or want to support our mission