Two young men from Vietnam have made their first profession of vows in the Society of the Divine Word following their postulancy in Thailand and a year-long novitiate in the Philippines.
Hung Dinh Nguyen and Joseph Pham Van Thong joined the SVD Australia Province in Thailand and will now prepare to undertake their seminary studies and formation with the SVD Australia Province at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne.
The SVD Australia Province rang out with joy this month when Peter Wang SVD was ordained to the priesthood in Melbourne in a celebration filled with faith, culture, love, family and mission.
Peter, who was born and raised in China, was ordained by Broome Bishop Tim Norton SVD, in a Mass marked by poignant moments, including Peter being clothed in his priestly vestments by his parents and his brother Andrew, also an SVD priest, and the inspiration for Peter’s vocation.
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.
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 150th Jubilee Year celebrations, I came away from the Assembly with a grateful heart.
One of the highlights of the Mission Symposium 'Missio Dei: An Ecumenical Conversation' which took place in Melbourne this month was the launch of 'SVD Mission in Contexts: Creative Responses in a Wounded World'.
Fr Boni Buahendri SVD has been appointed as the new Provincial Superior of the SVD Australia Province for the next triennium, and will take up his new role in January, 2026.
Fr Boni, who is currently parish priest of St Mark’s Parish, Inala, said that while the role of Provincial has many challenges, he accepted it with humility and hope and looked forward to working together as a team with members of the Province, the communities that they serve, lay collaborators and friends.
I am delighted to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Fr. Boni Buahendri SVD, who was born in Indonesia, on his recent appointment as the 8th Provincial Superior for the AUS Province for the forthcoming triennium, which will be effective from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028.
This new position he has been entrusted with is a reflection of his dedication, his spirit of service, and the trust that his confreres and the Generalate have in his leadership.
There was this story of an old but sick man who won a huge prize from lotto. The relatives were afraid that if they broke this news, he might have a heart attack and die.
As the Church in Australia celebrated National Vocations Awareness Week this month, the SVD Australia Province issued an invitation for people to join in celebrating the ordination to the priesthood of Shouzheng Peter Wang SVD in November.
Peter is currently serving as a deacon in Melbourne and his ordination to the priesthood will be the next step in a vocational journey which began back in his home country of China and brought him to Australia.
It was a triple celebration at St Maximilian Kolbe Parish, Marsden, recently when the community took part in the parish’s feast day, the annual Multicultural Day Mass and the installation of new parish priest, Fr John Quang SVD.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge presided at the Mass, which saw parishioners dressed in their cultural costumes, and was followed outside by a shared multicultural meal and entertainment.
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/svdaus
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
In the spirit of reconciliation, the Society of the Divine Word, Australia Province, acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, sky, and community.
We acknowledge their skin-groups, story-lines, traditions, religiosity and living cultures.
We pay respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all indigenous peoples of New Zealand, Thailand, and Myanmar.
We are committed to building with them, a brighter future together.