Here in Australia the idiom “turn something on its head” is used quite a lot, especially in sports. When a team is leading by a big score and then the opponent rallies and is now in the lead, you can hear commentators saying, “The game has been turned on its head”.

The Advent period has been a tuneful and generous one around the SVD Australia Province, with a number of SVD parishes holding Christmas Carol events for the first time since COVID, and others preparing food hampers for those in need this Christmas season.

In Santa Teresa, Central Australia, the community held their first ever Carols event and their famous Christmas lights display took place in the usual spectacular fashion, lighting up the desert sky. On top of that, the isolated Indigenous community was also blessed to receive a brand new giant nativity scene.

The SVD Mission Day, hosted by Dorish Maru College and Yarra Theological Union/University of Divinity, made a welcome return this month, following a two-year COVID hiatus, with speakers exploring the topic, ‘For a Missionary Church in a Wounded World’.

Keynote speaker at the Mission Day event was Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, Provincial. The Respondent was Sr Anne Jordan PBVM, of Cana Communities. The formal program was followed by Mass and a shared multicultural meal.

Last month, I received a letter from Superior General, Father Budi Kleden SVD, reappointing me as AUS Provincial for another term from January 1, 2023 to – December  31, 2025.

I was lost for words and humbled to be reappointed again knowing that I don’t really deserve such a position with responsibilities that never end! My request to you is please pray for me as I pray for you.

As the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday this week, Divine Word Missionaries in the Australia Province have reflected on the importance of their commitment to learn the language of the people with whom they are ministering.

The very first thing that Divine Word Missionaries do when they are assigned to a country is to learn the language, because it is in being able to communicate with the people that they learn more about them and their culture and really get to know and to love them in Christ.

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.

The SVD Annual Mission Day 2022 will be held on Saturday, October 8, under the theme: For a Missionary Church in a Wounded World: Culturally Aware, Interreligious Solidarity & Faithfulness.

The Mission Day will be held at Yarra Theological Union Study Centre, 98 Albion Road, Box Hill, VIC, starting at 3pm AEDT.

On this foundation day of our Congregation, I invite you to reflect on contemplation as a source of inspiration, strength, and perseverance in our intercultural life and mission, said SVD Superior-General, Fr Paul Budi Kleden in his message for SVD Foundation Day this month.

To be consistent with the understanding that mission is principally the mission of God, we can only do justice to it if we cultivate the contemplative dimension of our life and mission.

The Divine Word Missionaries’ Australian mission publication, Society Matters, has taken out a Highly Commended award at the recent Australasian Catholic Press Association awards dinner in Melbourne.

Society Matters won the commendation in the category for ‘Best Content – Faith and Life’ for a feature article on the SVD mission in Myanmar.