As world leaders prepare to gather for the COP26 United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, the Divine Word Missionaries are undertaking a series of local and global initiatives to help play their part in tackling the climate crisis.

SVD communities across the world are committing to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Action Platform which proposes a seven-step, seven-year set of goals towards preserving and restoring God’s creation which is seen as a vehicle for all human life.

Fr Ennio Mantovani SVD, a missionary for more than 64 years, has launched a new book, bringing to life in vibrant pictures his 15 years of living with and accompanying the people of Yobai in Papua New Guinea.

The book, entitled History of Yobai in Pictures, is a companion volume to Fr Ennio’s 2019 written account of his missionary life, entitled Sixty Years of Priestly and Missionary Life.

The SVD has established a new Melbourne District in a bid to provide the best pastoral care to its growing number of missionaries engaged in a range of different ministries in Victoria.

The new District was inaugurated on the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, a special feast for the Universal Church and for the founder of the Divine Word Missionaries, St Arnold Janssen, who dedicated the first SVD house to the patronage of St Michael in Steyl, Holland in 1875.

This month has been a time of celebration and thanksgiving for the Australia Province of the Divine Word Missionaries. We have marked the conclusion of our 100^th anniversary year of SVD presence in Marsfield, Sydney, and also the 20^th anniversary of our presence in Central Australia.

As we look back to our foundations in Australia, we give thanks for those dedicated and tenacious missionaries who left their homeland and came across the seas to share the love of Jesus Christ in this part of the world. And we give thanks for all the fruits that have grown over the ensuing decades.

Isn’t this a wonderful expression? It conjures-up images of happiness and excitement that all of us have experienced at some time in our lives.

In sports, the dream of an athlete is to be the best, to be at the top, to be number one. Unfortunately, sometimes in the process, a good number might resort to various ways of doing it either legally or illegally.

The dialogue between Jesus and a young man in the Gospel story for 28th Sunday of Ordinary time, is so profound. A young man comes to Jesus, asking “What should I do to inherit the eternal life?” 

Recently, marriage has been quite a hot topic in various sectors of society. At one end, there are advocates for “marriage equality” which means you can marry any person regardless of their gender.

More than 70 members of the Divine Word Missionaries Australia Province – came together this month for the first ever online Provincial Assembly.

Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, says the Zoom platform created both challenges and opportunities for the gathering.

Guest speakers at the 2021 Provincial Assembly challenged members of the SVD community to be invitational, to get to know people’s story and to discern and act with vision – the vision of Jesus Christ.

Emeritus Bishop of Darwin, Bishop Eugene Hurley spoke on the Leadership of Pope Francis, and Dr Janine Luttick, a lecturer in biblical studies at Australian Catholic University (ACU), in the faculty of theology and philosophy, presented on Leadership, Mission, Women and the Church in Australia.