"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.

When the Superior-General of the Divine Word Missionaries, Fr Heinz Kuluke, visited the SVD AUS Province recently, he had one key message for both confreres and partners in mission: “Thank you”.

“I am here to thank you,” he said. “I am always touched by the dedication of our missionaries and the many mission partners who support us in so many different ways.”

The SVD AUS Province’s new mission in Myanmar is full of both wonderful potential and challenge, says Mission Secretary, Fr Truc Quoc Phan SVD.

Fr Truc has recently returned from Myanmar where, together with Fr John Hung Le SVD, he has been preparing the property for the first missionaries to take up residence in sometime in the first half of next year.

One of the things that a religious missionary who is far away from home enjoys is phone conversations with family members. Recently I had a memorable conversation with my Dad. Each year at this time of the monsoon season, Dad works tirelessly in preparation for the paddy Harvest.

In my last conversation with him, I asked Dad, how the preparation is going for the Harvest. To my surprise he said, that this year the farm is not in its prime healthy condition, because of the incessant rain. The chilli fields are more often prone to infestation of pests. However, he expressed his eagerness in waiting for the paddy harvesting in the early weeks of December.

The SVD seminarians studying at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne spent an evening with the Provincial recently, getting to know one another better, asking questions and learning about the priorities of the AUS Province.

Student, Clement Baffoe, from Ghana, says the Provincial, Fr Henry Adler, shared insights on the specialised ministries of the Province and challenged the seminarians to deepen their commitment to the Divine Word which is at the heart of the Society.

As we approach the end of Mission Month for 2017, having celebrated World Mission Sunday on October 22, it’s a good time to reflect on what impact, if any, this worldwide focus on Mission has had on us.

The SVD AUS Province celebrated Mission Sunday with gusto in parishes and communities, with a joyful multicultural focus, which is so much at the heart of who we are as Divine Word Missionaries.