Two Divine Word Missionaries priests from the Australia Province have been appointed to diocesan ecumenical or interfaith bodies, to help promote dialogue and understanding among faith communities.

Fr Michael Hardie SVD has been appointed to the Parramatta Diocese Interfaith Commission while Fr Mikhael Loke SVD has been appointed to the reference group for the Brisbane Archdiocese Council for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations.

A new series of online video conversations featuring people of different faiths and belief systems aims to broaden the scope of interfaith dialogue.

Fr Thien Nguyen SVD, who is part of the initiative, says each of the conversations focuses on the basic, unifying exploration of one key topic – love – as lived and expressed by those being interviewed.

A Divine Word Missionary priest who is based in Bangkok, has been appointed to a new role at an organisation which explores the intersection of religion and communication.

Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD, a member of the AUS Province, has been appointed as Executive Director of the Asian Research Centre for Religion and Social Communication (ARC).

The SVD has signed up to The Sydney Statement, an interfaith charter for building bridges between people from different religions and is looking forward to supporting its aims in a variety of ways.

The Sydney Statement was developed by Youth PoWR (Parliament of the World’s Religions), a coalition of young adults from different religions, following two years of consultation and drafting.

A small church renovation project in Thailand’s rural Buengkan Province, has been the backdrop for a rejuvenation in parish and community life as well as an opportunity for interfaith dialogue and friendship.

Fr Truong Le SVD arrived at his new parish in Northeast Thailand, near the Mekong River at short notice and with few plans in place, but says that by listening and getting to know the people, a strong community is beginning to grow.

The various faith communities of Alice Springs came together recently for a time of prayer and shared grieving following the killings at a Christchurch mosque and at Sri Lankan churches and hotels.

The interfaith gathering was the initiative of the Catholic Parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which hosted the event.

The new Director of the Janssen Spirituality Centre in Boronia, Fr Thien Nguyen SVD, says he is looking forward to helping bring to life the vision of the Centre as being a peaceful gathering place for people to share and celebrate their faiths and cultures.

Fr Thien says he will be working with the team at JSC to build on the work already underway to develop the original vision for the Centre as a place of welcome for interfaith and intercultural relations.

The people of Alice Springs were treated to a thought-provoking discussion recently when Fr Nick de Groot SVD delivered a presentation which posed the question, ‘Different Religions: friend or enemy?’

Fr Nick is the Director of the Janssen Centre for Spirituality in Boronia, Victoria, a retreat and hospitality centre with a special focus on being a place of welcome for interfaith and intercultural relations.

I have just returned from a trip to South-East Asia, taking in the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar, the latter two countries of which are part of the SVD AUS Province.

Whenever I go to Thailand and visit our ministries there, I am struck by the reality of our commitment as Divine Word Missionaries to breaking down cultural and religious barriers.

The Janssen Spirituality Centre (JSC) in Boronia, Victoria, is headed for a new lease of life which will embrace and develop the original vision for the Centre to be a place of welcome for interfaith and intercultural relations.

The JSC, named in honour of St Arnold Janssen SVD, was opened in January 2008, as a venue dedicated to the promotion of inter-religious and cross-cultural relations. The Centre was dedicated to mutual understanding and enrichment, respect and collaboration, among followers of various cultures and faith traditions.