It’s been a season of celebration for the Divine Word Missionaries AUS Province recently, with a number of jubilees, including the significant milestone of 60 years a priest for Fathers Frank Gerry and Ennio Mantovani.

Fr Frank and Fr Ennio marked their Diamond Jubilees with special Masses and social celebrations, giving thanks to God for their priestly vocation.

Fr Erwin Schmutz SVD has worn a few different hats over the last 60 years – priest, missionary, medic and botanist to name just a few – but as he celebrates his Diamond Jubilee, he says it is the people he has lived amongst and ministered to that stand out for him.

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.

The Feast of SVD missionary, St Joseph Freinademetz was an extra special celebration for the Divine Word Missionaries’ Marsfield community this year, as confreres, friends and guests joined together to mark jubilees for Fr Kevin Cantwell and Fr Don Grant.

Fr Kevin was celebrating 65 years in vows as a Divine Word Missionary and Fr Don Grant was celebrating 50 years since priestly ordination.

We gather here this morning to give thanks and to celebrate the priestly and missionary life of Fr Jim Knight, Divine Word Missionary – 50 years of faithful service in the vineyard of the Lord!

This is a real achievement, isn’t it! Something worthy of celebration, not just by the individual but by the community at large, for Fr. Jim did not achieve this alone. That is why he has gathered his family and friends here this morning. Gratitude fills his heart, and gratitude fills our hearts too.

The SVD AUS Province has recently celebrated jubilees adding up to 150 years of Divine Word Missionary service, with confreres giving thanks to God for the life to which they have been called.

Fr Jim Knight SVD marked 50 years as a missionary priest and Fr Jacob Kavunkal SVD marked 50 years in vows, with celebrations in Alice Springs and Melbourne respectively. The Melbourne celebration also honoured the 25-year jubilees of Fr Michael Hardie SVD and Fr Joseph Vu SVD.

February was a month of great celebration in the SVD AUS Province, as two confreres celebrated significant anniversaries of their vows, with Fr Frank Gerry SVD notching up 65 years as a Divine Word Missionary and Fr Michael Hardie SVD marking his 25th jubilee.

Fr Frank, who now lives in retirement, celebrated his jubilee with family in Brisbane, while Fr Michael shared the milestone with confreres at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne, where he is Rector.

Some years ago I found in a Dutch catholic newspaper an article on a spiritual renewal centre in Helvoirt in the Netherlands province of Brabant.
Reading it, I slowly realized they were talking about our former SVD Noviciate house, where I entered the SVD as a novice.

The author wrote: “Stepping into the building, one can feel an atmosphere of prayer.” In other words, you can feel it is a holy place”.