The Administrative Centre of the Australian Province of the Divine Word Missionaries is located at Marsfield in Sydney and, apart from their administrative work, the confreres based there are involved in a range of ministries and activities. In addition, SVD missionaries have the pastoral care of the Macquarie Fields parish on Sydney’s southern outskirts, in the Wollongong Diocese.

Marsfield

The Marsfield community is home to both active and retired SVD missionaries and is also the location of the Provincial Administration and the Mission Office.

Those confreres engaged in active ministry work in areas including Vocations, Provincial Administration, Bible Apostolate, the Mission Office, as well as Parish Mass Supply and Chaplaincy to migrant communities.

The heart of the Marsfield property is the Arnold Janssen Chapel, where daily Mass is celebrated and the SVD community prays the Prayer of the Church each morning and evening. Local people join with the SVD community for daily Mass and a large worshipping community gathers for Sunday Eucharist. Weddings, baptisms and funerals are also frequent in the Arnold Janssen Chapel.

A strong and vibrant Chinese Catholic community as well as Indonesian groups also make the Chapel and the Chapel Hall their ‘home away from home’, gathering for regular Mass, Bible Sharing and socializing.

SVD ministry to these communities is an expression of our charism to reach out to people of different cultural backgrounds. They also offer prayerful and practical support to the SVD community, especially in times of illness.

A number of retired missionaries live at Marsfield. Some of these men have returned from the mission fields ageing and frail, requiring physical and health care in hostel style accommodation. Caring for our aged confreres with love and respect, in the spirit of Jesus Christ, is a priority of the community. Very few missionaries want to ‘retire’ and most seek to continue helping the Province in whatever way they might be able to, as well as continuing to live their religious life with prayer and reflection. Retirement is a time for them to receive special care and support.

Slovak Chaplaincy

The relationship between the Slovaks in Australia and the Divine Word Missionaries can be traced back to the 1970s, with the appointment of Fr Jan Krasnansky SVD to work with the growing numbers of Slovak immigrants in Sydney. Celebrations were held in 2021 to mark the 50th annniversary of the SVD's chaplaincy to the Slovak community of Sydney which today is based at Sts Cyril and Methodius in Lidcombe. Pictured below is the Slovak group performing cultural dancing at the SVD's Carols by Candlelight event.