The SVD missionaries in Thailand and Myanmar are well-loved and appreciated by both the local bishops and the people, reported Fr Boni Buahendri SVD, after his first visit there as Provincial.
Fr Boni began his trip in Myanmar, before moving on to Bangkok and then the Diocese of Udon Thani in Thailand.
Catholics from Fiji and other Melanesian islands who are living and working on the west coast of the United States of America have been learning about synodality and ‘listening in the Spirit’, thanks to a visit from Fr Asaeli Rass SVD.
Fr Rass, who completed his term as Provincial of the AUS Province at the end of last year, has been visiting the US with the Archbishop of Suva, Peter Loy Chong.
As you receive this edition of In the Word, we have recently celebrated Pentecost and are about to celebrate Trinity Sunday.
These are two feasts in the liturgical year that were very close to the heart of the SVD founder, St Arnold Janssen, and are an integral part of the spirituality of the Divine Word Missionaries.
To be honest, I really struggled preparing for this homily. I sat down, tried to think about the Holy Spirit, and my mind just felt empty, even though I know there are many things I could talk about.
There is a song titled, “The trouble with hello is goodbye.” We all know that saying goodbye is never easy because of all the physical and emotional attachments that we have, especially if we have a close friend.
On this 6th Sunday of Easter, the readings in fact invite us to have hope in the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. We are not alone in this faith journey towards Heaven, but the Risen Lord is with us in the form of Holy Spirit.
Christ is risen! He is truly risen! Alleluia!
Today’s Gospel, on this very special day, takes us to the morning of the first day of the renewed creation. It is not merely the dawn of another ordinary day, but the beginning of a wholly new era, of a reality transformed by the victory of life over death, said the Society of the Divine Word's Superior-General, Fr Anselmo Ribeiro SVD in his Easter Sunday homily.
There is a beautiful song often sung by the Tiwi people: “Holy Spirit in this land, reach out and touch us as you can, from the high, high mountains to the deep, deep valley, Holy Spirit in this land.”
These words truly capture my experience of God’s presence in the sacred land of the Tiwi Islands. Over the past three and a half years of my ministry, I have been deeply blessed to witness the love of God alive among the Tiwi people and to experience how the Spirit moves gently yet powerfully in their lives, in simplicity and sincerity, writes Fr Niran Veigas SVD.
Happy Easter! As you receive this edition of In the Word, we are midway through the Easter season, with our Sunday gospel readings highlighting the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and the joy this brings to his followers.
The empty tomb reminds us that God’s power brings new life and endless hope and, here in the SVD Australia Province, we are experiencing this with a range of new missionary assignments and new initiatives to support confreres in their missionary life.
A seminarian from China has arrived at the SVD’s Dorish Maru College in Melbourne to undertake Theology studies and complete his formation for priesthood.
Ling Shuang Niu (Francis), who arrived earlier this month, will first engage in English language studies as he begins the journey of learning the Australian way of life.
