The collaboration between the Holy Spirit Sisters and the Divine Word Missionaries is mirrored in the spirit of the Founding Generation. It started in the early days when both mission congregations were founded, writes Sr Sesilia Dominika Ria SSpS, in this SVD 150th Jubilee Year reflection.

The Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) and the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (SSpS) in Australia collaborate in bonding the dream of being missionaries in a way St Arnold Janssen had envisaged it. From the early days up to this present moment their joint collaboration has flourished through decades of mutual support, intercultural ministries with indigenous people and people on the margins of society – our shared vision in the mission of this Southern Land of the Holy Spirit.

The Society of the Divine Word, popularly known as the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD), is celebrating 150 years of service in the Lord’s Vineyard with the theme ‘Witnessing to the Light: From Everywhere for Everyone’. It has grown from a humble foundation on September 8, 1875 in Steyl, the Netherlands to an international religious order of 6,000 priests, brothers serving in 79 countries.

In this context I thought of sharing some of my personal experience of being part of the SVD mission in New Zealand, with the SVD confreres with whom I worked and some of the insights I gained along the way, writes Fr Sunil Nagothu SVD.

Justin Wejak is a former student of the Society of the Divine Word, who has had a long-standing association with the SVD since birth, which has helped shaped his life, he writes in this 150th Jubilee Year reflection.

"I have been away from the SVD for a while, but the profound influence of SVD spirituality—essentially a Trinitarian spirituality—remains active in my life. It emphasises communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, instilling a lasting sense of purpose rooted in mission, prayer, and service."

One heart, many faces we have been called to serve Christ and one another.  What a blessing to have the honour of celebrating the 150th Jubilee Year of our SVD existence!  We definitely have a lot to celebrate looking back at the past 150 years of grace, struggles and growth, writes Fr Roger Kyaw SVD. 

As I just embarked on my first mission a few months ago, I don’t feel like I have a lot of ministerial experiences yet to share. Rather I want to reflect on my encounter with the light in the SVD in the past 10 years.

My name is Daniel Polla, and I am originally from Indonesia. The Australia Province is my second mission assignment as a Divine Word Missionary. On 10 December 2023, Bishop Charles Gauci of Darwin Diocese placed me as the parish priest and Yanuarius Salu as the co-pastor of Daly River Parish - my first mission assignment in the Australia Province.

St Francis Xavier Parish in Daly River has five communities located at varying distances from the central parish. Some communities even take over two hours driving on rough roads to reach them.

As a Divine Word Missionary, it is my profound privilege to share the Good News of God wherever I am called, writes Fr Niran Veigas SVD. For nine years, I was blessed to proclaim the Gospel in Russia, answering the Lord’s invitation to be His instrument of love and hope. Following this, I embraced another calling—to serve the Aboriginal community in Australia.

For the past two years, I have had the honour of ministering to a remote Aboriginal community in the northernmost part of Australia. It has been a journey of grace and growth, where I feel truly blessed to bring the Good News of Christ to those who long for His presence. Witnessing their faith, resilience, and openness to the Gospel has deepened my own commitment to this sacred mission.

The first words of God in the book of Genesis were [Then God said:] Let there be LIGHT, and there was light. For me as I reflect on the theme of our 150^th founding anniversary, as the biblical apostolate coordinator of the province, the Light is very powerful, writes Fr Elmer Ibarra. 

While we believe that the task of becoming a missionary is a call for everyone, I believe that as Divine Word Missionaries priests and brothers, we are specially called to testify to the light in the best way we know how by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The birthday of our Mother Mary, 8^th September, also marked the Foundation Day of the Society of the Divine Word.

In 2024 it also marked the opening of the SVD Sesquicentenary Jubilee (the year of celebrations leading up to their 150^th anniversary in 2025), with the theme “Witnessing to the Light: from Everywhere for Everyone”, writes Fr Peter Bang SVD.

If we want to achieve Peace, Justice must be served. If we want to live harmoniously with nature, we have to protect our environment, writes Fr Jun Perez SVD.

The theme of our Jubilee Year, “Witnessing to the Light, from Everywhere for Everyone,” has resonated deeply within my heart and mind as I am applying for Perpetual Vows and First Assignments, writes SVD student Peter Wang.

It reminds me this is a call to all of us in the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) with a renewed commitment to our core identity and mission.