Debra Vermeer

Debra Vermeer

Bp Vincent Long2 250Religious are uniquely placed to lead the way on Pope Francis’ path of synodality, because they are already living a synodal life within their religious communities, Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv told the SVD Provincial Chapter.

Bishop Vincent was the keynote speaker at the Chapter, and he said that despite religious life being “fundamentally at a critical point in our country” due to many ageing Congregations, there was still scope for Religious to have a prophetic voice leading into the future.

Published in News & Events

Fr Asaeli Rass SVD profile pic 250We are about to head into Holy Week, which culminates in the Paschal Triduum, those holy days where we enter into the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Christians are a resurrection people, but all of us in our life can expect to walk the road of Calvary in some way on our road to Easter joy.

Published in News & Events
Tuesday, 28 February 2023 10:48

Lent: A Privileged Time to Know Jesus More

Human hands open palm up worship. Eucharist Therapy Bless God Helping Repent Catholic Easter Lent Mind Pray. Christian Religion concept background. fighting and victory for godLast year I had finished a school Mass and after these Masses I always stand at the Church entrance and say goodbye to the pupils as they leave the Church, reflects Fr Clement Baffoe SVD. On this particular day, a prep student who was with his mother asked me an important question. The little boy looked at my face when leaving the Church and asked: “Are you Jesus?” I hastily replied: No! But Jesus is my friend. Both the mother and I had a laugh and they left.

The boy's question left me with many questions than answers. What has the little boy heard about Jesus? What did he see in me to then ask if I was Jesus? Is the boy searching for Jesus? And perhaps for the boy, who is this Jesus he’s been told about?

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FCBCO SVD attendees 250Divine Word Missionaries who attended the recent Oceania Bishops’ Assembly in Fiji have described it as a hopeful, joyful experience of collegiality and synodality, where bishops listened to the cry of the earth and oceans along with the hopes and desires of Catholics across the region for the future of the Church.

Six SVD members attended the meeting – five bishops from Australia and Papua New Guinea and one priest, the AUS Province Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, who helped facilitate the gathering.

Published in News & Events

Alice Springs youth crime crackdown 250Faith communities in Alice Springs are working together with local elders to respond in practical and spiritual ways to the growing youth street crime crisis in the Central Australian city.

Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, says the first step in responding to the situation is to understand the deep-seated social issues at play.

Published in News & Events

Visitator at Dorish Maru 2023 250The SVD Australia Province is hosting two General Visitators over the next month, who will make their way around the various districts in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand to spend time getting to know the confreres and observing our ministries in action.

Fr Yosef Masan Toron SVD, who is currently serving as the General Chairperson of the Indonesian Biblical Institute, is one of the Visitators appointed by the SVD Generalate in Rome. He is joined by Fr Jose Antunes da Silva SVD, who is Vice Superior General and was the provincial superior of Portugal.

Published in News & Events

Fr Bill Burt Golden Jubilee of Ordination 2023 250Fr Bill Burt SVD marked his Golden Jubilee of priestly ordination recently with a “simple celebration” with confreres and friends at Melbourne’s Dorish Maru College.

It was fitting that Fr Bill’s celebration took place in an SVD formation house, given that he has worked in the formation area on several occasions over those 50 years of priesthood and missionary life.

Published in News & Events

Fr Asaeli Rass SVD profile pic 250As we all embark on the season of Lent, we Divine Word Missionaries of the Australia Province are also about to undertake our Provincial Chapter.

The theme of the Chapter is ‘“Your Light Must Shine Before Others” (Mt.5: 16): Faithful and Creative Disciples in a Wounded World’ and it is a theme which gives us much to reflect on.

Published in News & Events
Fr Budi Kleden SVD Message for St Arnold Janssen feast day 2023 250One of the spiritual legacies of our Founder, St Arnold Janssen, is his prayer: "May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people," said SVD Superior-General Fr Budi Kleden in his message for St Arnold's feast day this month.
 
The heart of Jesus is a heart rooted in his intimate relationship with the Father and his loving embrace of humanity, a heart full of humility and compassion, a heart that rejoices in the Lord and beats for the suffering humanity and the world, a heart that is united with the Lord and feels the pain of the world. If this heart lives in us, we become missionary disciples who are faithful to the Word, and one, in solidarity with the people. Saint Arnold passed on to us this prayer and is teaching us this prayer with his life.
Published in News & Events

Ukraine1 250The friends and partners in mission of the SVD Australia Province raised more than $70,000 in recent months for two special mission appeals – one to assist the people affected by the war in Ukraine and the other, to purchase a campervan for ministry to remote communities in Central Australia.

“We are very grateful for the generosity of people who donated to these special appeals,” says Mission Secretary Fr Viet Nguyen SVD.

Published in News & Events
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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.