Fr Ennio Mantovani SVD has been remembered as a dedicated missionary priest whose life and ministry touched the hearts of many, especially through his years of committed service in Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Fr Ennio returned peacefully to the Lord on October 18 in Sydney, Australia and his Requiem Mass took place on Tuesday, October 28 at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield.

A two-day ecumenical mission conference held in Melbourne this month brought together academics, missiologists and mission practitioners from Australia and beyond to engage in conversation about the history, development and current realities of being a missionary church.

‘Missio Dei: An Ecumenical Conversation’ was a joint project of the Australian Association for Mission Studies (AAMS) and the Society of the Divine Word and took place from October 2-3 at St Paschal’s, Box Hill.

The Divine Word Missionaries Australia Province has celebrated the culmination of the Jubilee Year marking the 150^th anniversary of the founding of the Society of the Divine Word with a Thanksgiving Mass earlier this month.

It brings to completion a year of celebrations to mark the SVD Jubilee across the Province, in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar, under the theme: ‘Witnessing to the Light: From Everywhere, for Everyone’.

I am incredibly proud to have been part of the historic event of the canonisation of Peter To Rot, a Melanesian from Papua New Guinea, writes Vanuatu-born Fr Olivier Noclam SVD. His canonisation marks a significant milestone as he becomes the first Pacific native saint, inspiring many within our community and beyond.

The ceremony took place in St Peter's Square on October 19, and was officiated by Pope Leo XIV. It was a momentous occasion, and I was deeply moved to see the flags of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea flying among the crowds, symbolising the unity and pride of our Melanesian nations. During the service, a member of Peter To Rot’s family brought forward the relics of the saint, creating a powerful link to his spiritual legacy.

As we celebrated World Mission Month in October, under Pope Francis’s theme: ‘Missionaries of Hope Among all Peoples’, the SVD Australia Province came together in Melbourne for the triiennial Provincial Assembly, and it truly was a time of Missionary Hope.

With my term as Provincial drawing to a close, along with our 150^th Jubilee Year celebrations, I came away from the Assembly with a grateful heart.

Last week, if you came to Church, you would have heard Jesus telling us to “pray continually and never lose heart.” He reminded us persevering in prayer, because prayer is not just for hard times, it is not just when we need God we start to pray — it’s a way of living for our life. Keep trusting. Keep knocking the door. Keep speaking to God who loves us.

For those who watch the Olympics, one of the so-called “blue ribbon” or glamour events is the 100-metre dash. It is a race where most of the time it will be over in about 10 seconds.

Today, the first reading, from the Second Book of Kings, speaks about Naaman the Syrian. This is a beautiful reading that all of us need to remember because it is a wonderful teaching about our relationship with God.