We are an international community of Catholic missionaries – priests and brothers – founded in 1875 by a German priest, St Arnold Janssen. Across the world today, there are more than 6000 members serving in more than 70 countries. Our community is named after the Divine Word, and so we are known as the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) or Divine Word Missionaries.

Our SVD identity is rooted in a call to witness to God's love precisely in situations where its inclusive embrace is not recognised and where its openness to the rich diversity of peoples is not appreciated.

Along with our sister congregations, The Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) and the Sister-Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration (SSpSAP) we try to listen to the Spirit so we can follow Jesus more courageously in doing the Father's will.

What is our Mission?

God's loving grace has gathered us from various peoples and continents into a religious missionary community dedicated to the Divine Word.
God so loved the world that he sent his only Son. The Word became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth to reveal the Father's name and to proclaim the kingdom of his love.

His life is our life, his mission our mission.

The Australian Province of the Divine Word Missionaries encompasses Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar.

Our community is comprised of about 90 men, including priests, brothers, and novices in formation, from 19 different nationalities.

“Like John the Baptist, we the Divine Word Missionaries of AUS Province seek to discover the light which is already shining among the people we are working with and to give witness to it. We do this in union with Jesus, the Word made flesh (Jn 1:14) who came not to crush the smouldering wick but to make it burn brighter.

The Spirit of the Land of Smiles, the Land of the Long White Cloud and the Wide, Brown Land of drought and flooding rains calls us:

• • To give witness in multicultural cities and remote communities,
  • To collaborate with the local Church in their prophetic promotion of lay ecclesial leaders,
  • To minister in works of justice, education and interfaith dialogue.

AUS Province Vision Statement

We, the Divine Word Missionaries of the Australia Province, affirm that the Word Incarnate is our Life and our Mission. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we follow Jesus, glorifying the Triune God wherever we are sent.

AUS Province Mission Statement

We witness to our missionary charism through living and working in intercultural communities. From this fraternal experience, we reach out to all people, giving priority to the following dialogue partners:

• Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Myanmar;
• Migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, the poor, and the marginalised in our places of mission;
• Faith seekers and people of good will from various places, spiritualities, and cultures.

Together with our dialogue partners, we foster a culture of encounter and care for creation and our Common Home.

We are committed to our Vision and Mission by providing integrated initial and ongoing formation for mission.

We work in parishes

In recent decades, the Divine Word Missionaries have recognised that growing migrant populations, a decline in the numbers of diocesan priests and growing numbers of poor and marginalized people in urban areas has created a need for missionaries in parish life in our Province.

We have responded to this need by accepting invitations from Bishops around Australia, New Zealand and Thailand to take on parishes in their dioceses which face these challenges.

Typically our parishes are large and multicultural. In keeping with our Characteristic Dimensions, in addition to celebrating the Eucharist and other sacraments, we focus on preaching and promoting the Bible at Mass and through Bible study groups. Our parishes, led by parish pastoral councils, also have vibrant youth groups, social justice initiatives, interreligious dialogue with other faith groups in our communities, and great music. We are committed to bringing the love of Jesus to our parishioners, both spiritually and practically.

We support children and adults with AIDS

One of the primary works of our missionaries in Thailand is to care for people living with AIDs.

AIDS is on the rise in Thailand and poverty in the rural areas can be crushing. The Mother of Perpetual Help Center in Nong Bua Lamphu is run by SVD missionaries of the Australian Province. They also visit the sick in their homes and sponsor group meetings for people with AIDS. Education and awareness programs are another big priority.

Working with Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity, the SVD missionaries have also established the Ban Mare Marie children’s home for children who have been orphaned by AIDS, bringing love, security and hope into their lives.

We work with Indigenous peoples

Being with and working with indigenous Australians is a priority for the Australian Province of the Divine Word Missionaries.

Aboriginal Australians, especially those living in remote areas, are among the most marginalized and disenfranchised groups in our society, and living in solidarity with the poor and the marginalized is an important part of our missionary calling.

Apart from our work with indigenous people in urban Australia, the SVD has committed itself to being with and working the indigenous people of Central Australia, primarily through the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Parish Alice Springs and the Santa Teresa Parish, about 90km outside Alice Springs.Our missionaries provide spiritual, moral and material support to those who live in Alice Springs, town camps and remote communities. We also run a weekly prayer service in Alice Springs prison and visit the families of those who are in prison.

An important part of our work is also to raise awareness of the plight of indigenous people and to advocate for justice on their behalf.

We go where we are needed as missionaries

We are part of an international community of SVD missionaries and members of the Australian Province regularly answer the call to work as missionaries in areas of need around the world.

Currently, there are a number of SVD AUS Province members and members who completed their training and formation in Australia, who are working overseas as missionaries. They are working with communities in need in Papua New Guinea, Japan, Indonesia, the USA, China, Brazil, South Korea, Argentina, Cuba, Hong Kong, Madagascar, South Africa, Romania/Moldova, and Russia.

Although their missionary circumstances and experiences will all be very different, the thing they have in common is that in accordance with the SVD Constitutions, they are assisting the local Church in bringing the love of Jesus – both practically and spiritually - to people who are poor and marginalized.

We help overseas-trained priests to settle into Australian ministry

A number of dioceses within the Australian Province have invited priests from overseas to assist them in caring for the pastoral needs of the people as local vocations to the priesthood fall.

The special multicultural charism of the Divine Word Missionaries has enabled us to offer the local Church our expertise and support in the ongoing formation of religious and diocesan clergy who arrive in Australia to embark on multicultural ministry and community life.

We work with dioceses and religious orders to provide workshops and ongoing formation to help newly arrived clergy settle in and engage in fruitful ministry.

We provide formation for SVD missionaries

The SVD Australian Province is recognised as being a leader in the formation and training of missionaries.

SVD members and novices come to Australia from all over the world to complete their training, which involves both an academic program and spiritual formation. Situated at Dorish Maru College, Box Hill, the students undertake philosophy and theology studies at the Yarra Theological Union, and are immersed in religious community life and pastoral work.

Many missionaries serving in various parts of the world today retain a strong affection for and association with Australia thanks to their years of formation here.

We support migrant communities

Working with migrant communities is a key focus of the SVD Australian Province. Many of our parishes contain large migrant populations and often many cultures are located within the one parish.

The SVD itself is a multicultural society and it is a central part of our charism to be with those who may be feeling marginalized or without a voice in their new country. The Divine Word Missionaries offer spiritual and moral support to migrant families including those who came as refugees, with the parish often becoming the centre where they can find support.

We offer Masses in various languages for different cultural groups, which brings comfort and joy to people struggling with a new language. And we help people to link up with English lessons, employment and other community services to assist them in forging their new life, as well as providing a supportive social outlet.

We provide accommodation and care for Asylum Seekers

In Melbourne and Sydney, the Divine Word Missionaries have begun a new ministry of hospitality for asylum seekers.

We offer accommodation for young men who are living in community detention while their asylum claims are processed.

The SVD communities offer pastoral care and support for these young men who have often spent long periods in immigration detention. Together the Jesuit Refugee Service and CatholicCare, they are also assisted with learning English and gaining skills to prepare them for life in Australia.

We care for our senior members

Caring for our aged confreres with love and respect, in the spirit of Jesus Christ, is a priority of the community.

Some retired missionaries have returned from the mission fields ageing and frail, requiring physical and health care in hostel style accommodation. Younger members are assigned to their care and those in formation often spend time with their older confreres. Other retired missionaries are able to remain quite active in their ‘retirement’ years.

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.

We engage in Missiological academic work

What does it mean to be a missionary in the 21st Century? Is mission only for clergy and religious or is it something for every baptised person?

The Divine Word Missionaries have members who are not only experienced missionaries but who have studied and lectured extensively in the fields of Missiology and Anthropology.

We share this knowledge and love of Mission with students of Theology and the humanities at academic institutions such as the Yarra Theological Union, as well as through occasional lectures around the Province and beyond. A number of our SVD members have also written books.

We work as hospital chaplains

People who are sick in hospital are often experiencing great anxiety and fear and it is easy to feel forgotten as the busy world rushes on outside.

A number of Divine Word Missionaries work as chaplains in hospitals, being with people during their illness and offering them the healing presence of Jesus Christ.

Apart from spending time with patients, and praying with them, our priests also offer the strengthening and healing sacraments of the Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick to those Catholic patients who wish to receive them.

Introduction to SVD Safeguarding Policies

The Society of the Divine Word, also known as the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD), is an international religious-missionary congregation of men and women with more than 8000 members worldwide. The Australia Province includes Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar. We are present in the following states of Australia: Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

This document sets out essential policies and procedures to safeguard and protect all children, young people and vulnerable adults, who are under the care of, or who come into contact with, any members of the Divine Word Missionaries, their associates and employees, in the Australia Province.

Commitment to Child Safeguarding

Compliance. The Australia Province of the Society of the Divine Word is resolutely committed to ensuring that all Province members and associated personnel comply with the child safeguarding laws and norms of the States, Territories, Dioceses and Archdioceses wherein we live and work. 

Safeguarding Statement. The Divine Word Missionaries commit to providing a safe environment for all children, young people and vulnerable adults, especially their cultural safety and wellbeing, and proclaim Zero Tolerance for all forms of abuse and neglect, particularly of a sexual and/or physical nature.

We commit to safeguard and protect all persons entrusted to our care in the houses and communities where we live and work, and in the pastoral ministries in which we are involved. This responsibility of care is extended also to our conferes who are retired, receiving medical treatment, or who are living with a disability.

Healing and Redress. The Province resolves to assist in every way possible any persons who have suffered sexual, emotional or physical abuse through the wrongdoing of SVD Province members or personnel.  The Province endorses the National Redress Scheme, and has been accepted as a Participating Institution in the Scheme. 

Purpose and Scope of this Policy

Upholding Article 34 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the overall purpose of our safeguarding policy is to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults who come in contact with the members of the Society of the Divine Word (the Divine Word Missionaries), their associates and employees, from harm and abuse of all kinds. This includes physical, mental and sexual abuse whether by intention, omission or neglect.

Our safeguarding policy achieves its purpose through protocols and procedures which ensure compliance with the child safe legislative frameworks of Australian States and Territories, with the National Principles for Child Safe Organizations (2018), and with the Church standards set out by Catholic Professional Standards Limited (2019).

To whom does the policy apply? This safeguarding policy applies to all members of the Society of the Divine Word in the Australia Province, to our employees,  and to those who associate with us in our ministries and activities. The policy applies to students in formation, to SVD overseas visitors whether staying in one of our communities or living externally, and to those who are permanently or temporarily resident in our houses and communities.

Report a Concern:  Contact the Divine Word Missionaries Professional Standards Office on 02 9868 9002 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

E-mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Policy Documents

Click here for:  pdf Safeguarding Policy (67 KB)

Click here for:  pdf Policy on the Use of Social Media (68 KB)

Click here for:  pdf Procedures for Reporting a Concern (65 KB)

This page outlines the terms and conditions that apply to the payment card arrangements made between Divine Word Missionaries (ABN 37 349 768 980) (our, us, we) and you. It sets out your rights and responsibilities in relation to the arrangements. It also sets out what our rights and responsibilities are to you. Please read this document thoroughly. For further enquiries or communications regarding your payment or these payment terms, please contact us by phone on 02 9868 2666 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

1. Your rights and responsibilities

1.1 Responsibilities

It is your responsibility to ensure that:

a) you provide current and valid payment card details.

b) on the payment date there are sufficient cleared funds or available credit.

c) you regularly check your account statement that the amounts deducted from your account are correct.

d) you advise us if the payment card is cancelled (for ongoing or regular payments only).

1.2 Enquiries and Changes to payments

If you have a recurring payment arrangement and want to make changes to your payment arrangements, you must contact us at least five (5) business days prior to the next due payment date. These changes may include: deferring the payment; altering the schedule; stopping an individual payment; suspending an automatic payment; change of account details; cancelling an automatic payment completely.

2. Our rights and responsibilities

2.1 Payments

a) You authorise us to make a payment from your payment card if you submit a request for us to make a payment.

b) If you have requested a recurring payment:

i. your payment will occur on the day of the month notified in your request, or such other day allocated by us. If the payment date falls on a non-business day, it will be made from your account on the next business day following the scheduled payment date.

ii. you authorise us to make recurring payments from your payment card as set out in your request until further notice.

iii. No change will be made to the amount or frequency of your contribution without your express consent.

iv. we reserve the right to cancel a recurring payment arrangement if two (2) or more successive payments are declined by your financial institution. We will advise you to arrange an alternative payment method.

2.2 Refund Policy

Divine Word Missionaries may consider all requests for a refund of a donation only where there has been a genuine error. However, we are under no obligation to give refunds for donations and the final decision on refunds will be at the discretion of Divine Word Missionaries. If you believe a genuine error has occurred, please provide details of how you made the donation, the amount, the date and the circumstances so as to justify your request.

If a donation is refunded, the associated tax receipt is no longer valid and should be securely destroyed. Please note it is your responsibility to submit correct receipts to the ATO (Australia Taxation Office).

2.3 Privacy

Information that you provide to us will be kept confidential and may only be used to facilitate processing your request.

3. Contacting Us

3.1 If there is a problem

a) If you believe that a payment has been made incorrectly, please contact us. Alternatively, please contact your financial institution.

b) If we conclude that a payment was incorrectly made we will arrange for your financial institution to correct the payment. We will also notify you in writing of the amount of any adjustment.

c) If we conclude that a payment was made correctly, we will notify you in writing and provide you with reasons.

3.2 Contact between us

a) If you wish to contact us about anything relating to these terms and conditions, please refer to our address and contact details shown in the footer, at the bottom of our website.

b) Where we have to contact you in writing, we may do so by electronic message (if we have your email address or mobile phone number) or by post to the address you have given us.

c) Any notice given by post will be deemed to have been received on the next business day after posting.

Any notice given electronically will be deemed to have been received twenty-four (24) hours after the message was sent unless the person sending the message knows or reasonably ought to suspect that the message was not delivered.

DIRECT DEBIT REQUEST SERVICE AGREEMENT (WHERE APPLICABLE)

This Direct Debit Request Service Agreement sets out the terms and conditions in relation to the direct debit arrangement between you and Divine Word Missionaries (us, we) as under the Direct Debit Request form.

1. Debiting Your Account

1.1. By signing a Direct Debit Request (DDR), you have authorised us to arrange for funds to be debited from your account. You should refer to the Direct Debit Request and this agreement for the terms of the arrangement between us and you.

1.2. We will only arrange for funds to be debited from your account as authorised in the Direct Debit Request.

1.3. If the debit day falls on a day that is not a business day, we may direct your financial institution to debit your account on the following business day.

2. Changes by Us

No change will be made to the amount or frequency of your contribution without your express consent.

3. Changes by You

3.1. Subject to 3.2 and 3.3, you may change future payments under a Direct Debit Request by contacting us at any time.

3.2. If you wish to stop or defer a debit payment you must notify us at least fourteen (14) days before the next debit day.

3.3. You may cancel your authority to debit your account at any time by giving us fourteen (14) days notice before the next debit day.

4. Your Obligations

4.1. It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient clear funds available in your account to allow a debit payment to be made in accordance with the Direct Debit Request.

4.2. If there are insufficient funds in your account to meet a direct debit payment:

a) you may be charged a fee and/or interest by your financial institution; and b) you are encouraged to organise for the debit payment to be made by another method or arrange for sufficient clear funds to be in your account by an agreed time so that we can process the debit payment.

4.3. You should check your account statement to verify that the amounts debited from your account are correct.

5. Dispute

5.1. If you believe that there has been an error made in debiting your account, you should notify us directly and confirm that notice in writing with us as soon as possible so that your query can be investigated and resolved promptly.

5.2. If, as a result of our investigations your account has been incorrectly debited, we will respond to your query by arranging for your financial institution to adjust your account. You will be notified in writing of the amount by which your account has been adjusted.

5.3. If, as a result of our investigations your account has not been incorrectly debited, you will be provided with reasons and any evidence for this finding.

5.4. Any queries you may have relating to an error made in debiting your account should be directed to us in the first instance so that we can attempt to resolve the matter between us and you. If we cannot resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you can refer the matter to your financial institution which will obtain details from you relating to the disputed transaction and may lodge a claim on your behalf.

6. Accounts

You should check:

a) with your financial institution whether direct debiting is available from your account as direct debiting is not available on all accounts offered by financial institutions.

b) that the account details you have provided to us are correct by checking them against a recent account statement.

c) with your financial institution before completing the Direct Debit Request if you have any queries about how to complete the Direct Debit Request.

7. Confidentiality

7.1. Any information contained in your Direct Debit Request, including your account details, will be kept strictly confidential. We will keep any such information about you secure and ensure that any of our employees or agents who have access to information about you do not make any unauthorised use, modification, reproduction or disclosure of that information.

7.2. Information will only be disclosed about you:

a) to the extent specifically required by law; or

b) for the purpose of this agreement, including disclosing information in connection with any query or claim.

8. Notice and Contact Details

8.1. If you wish to notify us in writing or contact us by telephone about anything relating to this agreement, please refer to our address and contact details at the bottom of our website.

8.2. Where we have to notify you in writing, we may do so by electronic message (if we have, for example, your email address or mobile phone number) or by post to the address you have given us. Any notice given by post will be deemed to have been received on the next business day after posting. Any notice given electronically will be deemed to have been received twenty-four (24) hours after the message was sent unless the person sending the message knows or reasonably ought to suspect that the message was not delivered.

9. Definitions

Account means the account held at your financial institution from which we are authorised to arrange for funds to be debited. Agreement means this Direct Debit Request Service Agreement between you and us. Debit payment means a particular transaction where debit is made by us in accordance with a Direct Debit Request. Direct Debit Request means the completed Direct Debit Request agreement between you and us We/us means Divine Word Missionaries. (The Debit User) you have authorised a Direct Debit Request. Written notice means written correspondence in accordance with clause 8. You means the donor who has authorised the Direct Debit Request. Your financial institution means the financial institution nominated by you on the Direct Debit Request at which the account is maintained.

Digital Downloads

Commemorating 100 Years  (1920 - 2020)

"This year (2020) we celebrate 100 years since the first German SVD missionaries began our SVD mission in Epping, NSW. It started as a Mission Procure and recuperation house for PNG missionaries when they bought a piece of land in Epping in 1920, with the help of the local diocesan parish priest, Fr Moore, on September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady.

This booklet affirms that signing up for life does not make any of us immune to the pain and sadness of serving a broken world loved by God. God chooses ordinary peoples to serve his mission and the qualification is simple, availability and faith in His providence."

Click the cover image below to launch the booklet

Provincial Office: 199 Epping Road, Marsfield, NSW 2122, Australia

Postal: Locked Bag 3, Epping, NSW 2122, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9868 2666

Divine Word Missionaries commits to treating any information that is provided to it confidentially and will not provide email or other contact details without the owner’s consent. If you have any concerns about privacy issues, please contact:

Fr Stephan Gerdes SVD
Treasurer – AUS Province
E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

P: 02 9868 2666

Use of Information

We will collect and maintain in our database certain personally identifiable information from you only when you provide it to us on a voluntary basis, for example, when you make an inquiry, contact us, subscribe to our newsletter, or register for an event or in any other way.

Information Collected

When you look at our website please be aware that our Internet Service Provider makes a record of your visit and logs information about it. This is the usual practice for an Internet Service Provider. This information may include but is not limited to:

• Your server address
• Your top level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc)
• The date and time of your visit to the site
• The pages you accessed and documents downloaded
• The previous site you have visited
• The type of browser you are using

Donations

Divine Word Missionaries adheres to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The PCI DSS is a proprietary information security standard for organisations that handle branded credit cards from the major card schemes including Visa and MasterCard.

SVD Australia Province

Vision Statement

We, the Divine Word Missionaries of the Australia Province, affirm that the Word Incarnate is our Life and our Mission. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we follow Jesus, glorifying the Triune God wherever we are sent.

Mission Statement

We witness to our missionary charism through living and working in intercultural communities. From this fraternal experience, we reach out to all people, giving priority to the following dialogue partners:

• Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Myanmar;
• Migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, the poor, and the marginalised in our places of mission;
• Faith seekers and people of good will from various places, spiritualities, and cultures.

Together with our dialogue partners, we foster a culture of encounter and care for creation and our Common Home.

We are committed to our Vision and Mission by providing integrated initial and ongoing formation for mission.

Provincial: Fr Asaeli Rass SVD

Provincial Council 2023-2025

Provincial Office and Mission Office Staff