As we are here, surrounded by the lush greenery of Nemi Hill, let us pause to contemplate the profound significance of this moment, said SVD Superior-General, Fr Budi Kleden SVD in his homily at the Opening Mass of the 19th General Chapter in Nemi, Italy.

Just as a cedar tree in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading, from a tiny seed grows into a majestic forest, so too does our General Chapter, a journey of awe-inspiring growth and transformation for our Society of the Divine Word.

Greetings from Nemi, Italy, where I am attending the 19^th General Chapter of the Society of the Divine Word.

With Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, I am representing the Australia Province at the General Chapter and working hard as part of the Chapter’s Steering Committee and as a small group facilitator. Fr Prakash was a part of the International Preparatory Committee which helped formulate the Instrumentum Laboris, or working document which guides the Chapter’s proceedings.

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.

The Society of the Divine Word has elected a new Superior-General, Fr Budi Kleden SVD, during a General Chapter which affirmed a commitment to the Word of God, renewal, and lay partnerships.

Speaking after his election, Fr Budi, from Indonesia, identified two key priorities as the Bible and the poor.

“Our time is short, so we must spend it with the people, not structures."

This was one of the key insights from the outgoing Superior General of the SVD, Fr Heinz Kuluke, at the recent General Chapter in Rome, and I think he’s hit the nail on the head.

Final preparations are underway for the SVD General Chapter to be held at Nemi, outside Rome next month, with Divine Word Missionaries from all around the world, including the AUS Province, set to take part in the important gathering, held once every three years.

And for the first time there will be a significant presence of lay partners at the Chapter, highlighting the Society’s growing formal relationship with its lay collaborators.