Fr Erwin Schmutz SVD was remembered for his very full life of service - as priest, missionary, medic and botanist – at his funeral Mass in the St Arnold Janssen Chapel, following his death in Sydney earlier this month.

Fr Erwin was born in Ingolstadt, on the River Donau in Bavaria, Germany, and spent 30 years as a missionary in Indonesia, then some years as a German Airforce chaplain, before arriving in the SVD AUS Province where he was chaplain to Adelaide’s German community for many years.

There are some really beautiful, powerful words and images offered us in this morning’s readings: how God sees the vast, immense universe around us, and all that exists in it.

It is a world away from Fr Niran Veigas’ previous missionary assignment in Russia to his new assignment in the Tiwi Islands, but the Indian-born priest is embracing the new challenge and looking forward to getting to know the people and helping to make a difference in their lives.

Fr Niran was born and raised in a Catholic family in the city of Mangalore, in southwest India and says he began discerning the possibility of being a priest as a young boy.

Last month, I received a letter from Superior General, Father Budi Kleden SVD, reappointing me as AUS Provincial for another term from January 1, 2023 to – December  31, 2025.

I was lost for words and humbled to be reappointed again knowing that I don’t really deserve such a position with responsibilities that never end! My request to you is please pray for me as I pray for you.

The parable about the pharisee and the tax collector, like all of Jesus’ stories, makes his listeners stop and think…  Here Jesus talks about two men, both of whom are honest. But there is a problem with one of them.

As the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday this week, Divine Word Missionaries in the Australia Province have reflected on the importance of their commitment to learn the language of the people with whom they are ministering.

The very first thing that Divine Word Missionaries do when they are assigned to a country is to learn the language, because it is in being able to communicate with the people that they learn more about them and their culture and really get to know and to love them in Christ.

For those who watch the Olympics, one of the so-called “blue ribbon” or glamour events is the 100-metre dash. It is a race where most of the time it will be over in about 10 seconds.

When I was studying nursing, we learnt two kinds of isolation for patients. The first kind of isolation is when a patient is set apart because they are so vulnerable to getting bugs from other people that they might get a lot sicker.

Jesus and his close followers are on their way to Jerusalem, and as he goes he instructs them. It is not a question of conversion, for that has already taken place. It is a more a question of growth in understanding of what Jesus is about and commitment to that.

The Divine Word Missionaries and Holy Spirit Sisters were well-represented at the recent National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) Assembly in Townsville, along with members of the First Nations communities with whom they live and work. 

SVD confreres from Central Australia, Palm Island and Townsville travelled to the significant national event to share about their ministries and learn from others, under the Assembly theme of ‘Holy Spirit in this Land’.