Fr Alejandro (Alex) de la Sotta SVD has been warmly welcomed as Parish Priest of St Bernadette’s Parish in the vibrant heart of Auckland, New Zealand, and is enjoying not only the diverse, multicultural community, but also the opportunity to get involved in the local Laudato Si’ Farm.

“My arrival at St Bernadette's Parish was a welcoming process more than a formal installation ceremony with the bishop,” he said. “Coming from the East Coast Parish, I was received with open arms by this vibrant community.

Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, parish priest in Alice Springs, will have a good understanding of the Instrumentum Laboris, or working document, of the upcoming SVD General Chapter when he arrives in Rome next month, having been part of the international commission which prepared it.

Fr Prakash was selected to be a member of the 2^nd International Preparatory Commission which met in Rome in April.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today we celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity. This mystery is called the mystery of all mysteries because the Holy Trinity is the core or centre of our faith.

Let me start with a story that I read from an article by a good friend of mine, Fr Atilano Corcuera, SVD. A contractor was asked to make a building for homeless blind people.

Today, our Mother Church celebrates the Ascension of the Lord. This is one of the great solemnities of the Church because it is one of the significant events in the resurrected life of our Lord Jesus.

In the gospel readings of this Sunday and last, Jesus keeps repeating as if begging us to remain in him as he remains in his Father.

As we celebrate the joyous occasion of Easter, I extend my heartfelt greetings to each one of you, said SVD Superior-General Fr Budi Kleden SVD.

The Resurrection of the Lord is the cornerstone of our faith and resonates with the profound message of God's boundless love and the promise of new life.

A pastoral visitation to Thailand and Myanmar highlighted once again the inspirational work being done by SVD missionaries in those places, said Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD.

Both Thailand and Myanmar are part of the SVD Australia Province and both districts are experiencing their own joys and challenges in mission.

SVD members who have been ordained or ministering in Australia for fewer than five years gathered in Townsville recently for a week of ongoing formation and fellowship.

The confreres, who come from all around the world, and are assigned to various parts of the country, gathered over the first week of April and said they returned to their respective parishes happy, refreshed and re-energised.

Fr Kevin Cantwell SVD, who recently celebrated 65 years as a priest, says his vocation came to him as a bolt out of the blue, and once received, it never wavered, giving him a lifelong sense of certainty which he believes “must have been a matter of grace”.

“My vocation was solid from the moment I received it. It came to me one morning in just a minute or two. I didn’t think about it or weigh up the pros and cons or anything like that. I had no hesitation about it,” he said.