With our Bethlehem Mission Society, SMB for short, we are active on four continents. In our work, we aim to combine the proclamation of the message of Jesus and development cooperation.
The Bethlehem Mission Society SMB is a community of brothers and priests who, in response to God’s call, have dedicated their lives to God and their neighbours. The origins of our Society go back to the year 1895.
We feel called to cooperate in the missionary service of the Church. As a Society of Apostolic Life, we are not a religious order, but are directly subordinate to the Dicastery (Department) for Evangelisation (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle). In the same time, we are committed to living according to the evangelical counsels of poverty, obedience and celibacy.
In our work, we aim to combine the proclamation of the message of Jesus and development cooperation.
In doing so, we are guided by the following principles.
Wherever we are, we work closely with the local church. We are active in pastoral care, teaching, training, the press – wherever we are needed and our services are in demand.
The participants of the 2023 General Chapter of the Bethlehem Mission Society.
Every person entrusted to our care — children, young people and adults — has the right to live and grow in safety. Our Society has adopted a Mission Statement, a Code of Conduct and a Personal Commitment that bind every member, novice and collaborator to the prevention of sexual and spiritual abuse, to transparent reporting, and to the support of those affected. This is not an added policy: it belongs to what we mean by following Christ in the spirit of Bethlehem.
SMB-Safeguarding Code of Conduct
