Two Novices for the SVD AUS Province, Cuong Quoc Peter Dang and Chalerm Naruemankanthon, have professed their first vows as Divine Word Missionaries in a ceremony in the Philippines.

The two young men, from the Thai District of the AUS Province, have been undertaking their Novitiate in the Philippines for the past year and will now continue their formation and studies in Australia.

After three years in Italy and the United Kingdom undertaking higher studies in missiology, Fr Albano Da Costa SVD is headed back to the AUS Province, to place his new knowledge and experience at the service of Christ’s mission in this part of the world.

Originally from Goa in India, Fr Albano,  took his final vows and was ordained in 2011. He was assigned to the AUS Province, and took up his first mission appointment in the Archdiocese of Wellington, New Zealand, where he was part of a new form of collaborative ministry for three-and-a-half-years.

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.

The Santa Teresa Parish in Central Australia has been celebrating this month, with hard-working, but humble, parishioner Miriam Dieudonne being awarded a Service to Community Award from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC).

Miriam was the winner of the Non-Indigenous category in the awards which recognise and celebrate the efforts of those involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ministry. Fellow long-time parishioner Bill Ryan was also awarded a certificate of recognition in the same category.

“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.

"As shared variously in the past years, right after the first visits, a thought came to mind that stayed until the end of my term and was confirmed along the way again and again: The world without religious congregations such as the Society of the Divine Word would be a much poorer place," reflected Fr Heinz Kuluke, the Superior General of the SVD at the opening Mass of the General Chapter, now underway in Rome.

"Today we come together to open our 18th General Chapter representing some 6,000 members of the Society of the Divine Word and many lay mission partners from around the world. We want to thank the Triune God for all that we can contribute to enrich this world in His name. At the same time, we continue to ask ourselves anew where we can be better rooted in his Word and committed to his mission, allowing the Love of Christ to impel us."

It is very unusual that a feast, other than a feast of Our Lord, would take the place of the Sunday liturgy. 

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.

After 15 years of missionary life in Brazil, including a number of years living with the people of the Amazon River, Fr Manh Le SVD says he is pleased to be back in Australia, even though life is taking a bit of getting used to.

“I feel a bit like a fish out of water,” he laughs. “It’s a big adjustment. But it’s good to be back and I’m looking forward to making a contribution here.”

Fr Kevin Cantwell SVD has launched a book of reminiscences of his time as a missionary in Papua New Guinea, in which he says the focus is not on him, but on the people of PNG, the missionaries who have served there, and the lay catechists and local church members.

Fr Kevin, who turned 90 in October, was a missionary in PNG from 1976 to 2003, first on the Sepik River and then in the Highlands, having been transferred there at the age of 48, after 16 years of appointments in Australia, including a time as Provincial.