The movement of the Holy Spirit in the Second Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia left the SVD participants “shaken but not stirred” and hopeful for the future of the synodal Church.

Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, said he entered the Assembly “with the sure hope that it would not deceive nor disappoint” him (Rom 5:5).

Two of the Divine Word Missionaries who will be taking part in the upcoming Second Assembly of the  Plenary Council say that while aware of the challenges, they remain filled with hope that a Spirit-led discernment will bear fruit for the Church in Australia.

The Second and final Assembly of the Plenary Council will meet in Sydney from July 3-9, where a range of motions concerning the future of the Church in Australia will be considered and voted on.

The first Plenary Council Assembly was a graced experience of prayer, listening and discernment which has laid the groundwork for an action plan to carry the Church in Australia into the future, according to the SVD members who took part.

Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, and Parish Priest of Our Lady of Sacred Heart Parish in Alice Springs, Fr Prakash Menezes SVD said the Assembly allowed all members to contribute and to feel seen and heard.

As this edition of In the Word lands in your inbox, I am preparing to represent the Divine Word Missionaries and the communities we serve at the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, which begins on Sunday. Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, parish priest in Alice Springs, will also be attending as part of the Darwin Diocese’s delegation, due to his role as Episcopal Vicar for the Diocese’s Central Region.

Of course, none of the members of the Plenary Council have ever taken part in something like this before, as the last Australian Plenary Council was held in 1937, so there is both excitement and some trepidation at what is to come.

The Divine Word Missionaries will have two members at the upcoming Plenary Council and both say they are looking forward to being a part of such a forward-looking and significant process for the Catholic Church in Australia.

Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, will be a member of the Plenary Council and attend its official sessions in October, as will Alice Springs Parish Priest, Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, who will be part of the Darwin Diocese’s delegation, due to his role as Episcopal Vicar for the Diocese’s Central Region.

Mission is about more than bringing God’s love to people in far-off lands – it’s also about sharing God’s love with people closer to home, in our parishes and communities. It’s a responsibility for all Christians.

As we prepare to celebrate World Mission Sunday on October 18, and with the Plenary Council preparations and discernment underway, I believe there’s never been a more exciting time to be engaged in mission.

The SVD Generalate in Rome has announced that Fr Asaeli Raass SVD has been elected as Provincial of the AUS Province and will take up his role in January 2020.

The current Provincial, Fr Henry Adler SVD says the news of Fr Raass’ election by his province confreres arrived from Rome this week. Fr Raass is currently Vice-Provincial and is the Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Alice Springs.

“What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?”

That’s the question we are being urged to consider as the Church in Australia embarks on the journey toward Plenary Council 2020. A tall order perhaps, but the key might be found in the Plenary Council logo: ‘Listen to what the Spirit is saying’.

Vietnamese Chaplains from across Australia came together in Sydney recently to discuss their ministry and to consider how Vietnamese Catholic communities can contribute their experience of faith life in Australia to the 2020 Plenary Council.

Fr Joseph Vu SVD, who is Chaplain to the Vietnamese community in Brisbane Archdiocese, says the chaplains gather every year to share with one another their activities, to listen and learn from each other, and to plan for the future.