For World Mission Day 2026, which was celebrated on Sunday, October 18, and which marked the centenary of a celebration established by Pius XI that is "very dear to the Church", Pope Leo XIV chose the theme “One in Christ, united in mission”.

Following the Jubilee Year, he said he wished to encourage the whole Church to continue its missionary journey with joy and zeal in the Holy Spirit. This requires hearts united in Christ, reconciled communities and, in everyone, a willingness to cooperate with generosity and trust. Read the Pope's full message.

The Immaculate Conception Parish in Sangkhomphathana, Bueng Kan Province, Thailand is situated in a new and small village, but has already grown into a vibrant spiritual home for its people.

The parish is one of two under the pastoral care of parish priest Fr Chanthavong (Toub) Anisong SVD, along with Jesus of Nazareth Catholic Church, Phon Charoen, and both are not only places of worship, but also of Christian outreach to those in need.

We are celebrating today the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We are invited to reflect on the themes of stewardship, responsibility, and accountability in our relationship with God.

My ministry with Vietnamese refugees in Bangkok has been one of the most meaningful parts of my missionary journey. I feel a special connection with them because I, too, was once a refugee, reflects Fr John Le SVD.

I spent three years in a refugee camp in the Philippines. That experience taught me what it means to leave home, live with uncertainty and homesickness, depend on the kindness of others, and wait anxiously for the possibility of a new future. Because I have walked that journey myself, I can listen to refugees’ stories and understand their sufferings and struggles with a deeper sense of compassion.

On behalf of the leadership team of the AUS Province, with a grateful heart I greet each one of you on this special day, as we celebrate the Foundation Day of the Society of the Divine Word.

Arnold Janssen, the founder of the SVD struggled with the idea of founding a religious congregation in a very challenging historical situation, writes Fr James Areechira SVD, in a reflection ahead of SVD Foundation Day on September 8.

Our constitutions characterise Arnold Janssen as a man of prayer, of unshakeable trust in God– a man of deep faith. He was ever open to God’s plans, offering unconditional surrender to his will. An open-minded man of great apostolic zeal, Arnold responded to the call of the Holy Spirit and the needs of people.

Fr Truong Le SVD cares for three rural parishes in different villages of the Isan region of northeastern Thailand – All Saints Church in Ban Muang, The Epiphany Church in Ban Chad, and St Lucia in Namphong.

And while each of those communities in Khon Kaen Province are small and located in an area known as being the poorest region in the country, Fr Truong says the friendship and support from locals, both Catholics and Buddhists alike, and an enduring love for the Eucharist, form the foundations of his parish ministry.

Queensland’s five Catholic bishops visited Palm Island recently, spending time with parishioners, school students, staff and religious, while prayerfully acknowledging both the troubled history of the island for Indigenous peoples as well as the hope that is alive there today.

Parish Priest Fr Manh Le SVD said the visit was an occasion for what he has termed an “Indigenous conversion” of heart for the bishops.

Multicultural Sunday celebrations in SVD communities in Sydney and Brisbane have brought together a diverse range of groups, showcasing their cultural heritage, while celebrating the gift of unity in faith.

At the SVD’s provincial headquarters at Marsfield in Sydney, the annual Multicultural Sunday event attracted big crowds, despite the threat of inclement weather, with SVD parishes from Macquarie Fields and Ingleburn in the Wollongong Diocese joining in the festivities.

It has been a time of celebration at St Mark’s Catholic Parish in Inala, Brisbane, with Fr Bosco Son SVD being installed as parish priest and Fathers Joseph Vu SVD and Linh Nguyen SVD marking significant jubilees.

Fr Bosco was installed as parish priest this month by Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay in a Mass which also incorporated Multicultural Sunday.