Technically, Fr Dom Flores SVD is supposed to be retired, but as he celebrates 60 years in religious vows, it is clear that when it comes to his ministry, his love of people and the Word of God, he still has energy to burn.

Whether he is celebrating Mass, helping to arrange the flowers in the Chapel, or joining local seniors for a sing-along and dance, Fr Dom’s famous smile illuminates all he does.

Fr Dom took his first temporary vows as a Divine Word Missionary in 1953 in the northern province of the Philippines, where he was born and raised.

I was born in a small town called Ruteng in the western part of Flores, Indonesia, the youngest of three children. I became interested in becoming a religious when I was 6 years old. But my mother told me that becoming a priest was already my answer, when I was 3 years old, when I was asked “what do you want to be”. When I was little, I really enjoyed watching our parish priest distributing communion. This amazement drew me to create my own ‘liturgy’ at home. I put all my snacks in a bowl and distributed them to my sister and brother. Both of them kept coming back to me for the snack until the bowl was empty. What was in it for me? Not just snacks, but an enjoyment of giving and sharing.

Divine Word Missionary priest, Fr Elmer Ibarra, has taken to the airwaves as a disc jockey, hosting a late night radio program in New Zealand, in which he plays Filipino music and reaches out to the Filipino community of Wellington.

The show is called “Late Nights with DJ Elmo” and can be heard on community station, Hutt Radio 106.1 FM in the Hutt Valley and Wellington district.

Fr Elmer, who was born and raised in the Philippines, before being assigned to the Australian Province of the Divine Word Missonaries, says his foray into radio is a chance to fulfil a longstanding love of radio and music.

Divine Word Missionaries who arrive in Australia from overseas countries soon find themselves plunged into an acculturation program that aims not to strip them of their own culture, but to immerse them in the Australian culture, while confirming them in their own.

The programs have been carried out in the Australian Province for about 30 years and in recent years have also been in demand beyond the Province, with dioceses and other religious orders who are inviting overseas priests and religious to serve in Australia.

Welcome to the August edition of In the Word.

We in the Australian Province of the Divine Word Missionaries are celebrating the news that Fr Henry Adler SVD is to become our next Provincial.

Fr Henry, who is currently the Mission Secretary for the Province, will take up his three-year term as Provincial in January, with my term coming to an end on December 31. 

As the excitement of World Youth Day in Rio begins to recede, Fr Stephen Pilly SVD reflects that the pilgrimage was a time of great grace, joy and friendship for him.

Fr Stephen, from Sacred Heart Parish, Preston, VIC, was part of a large group from the Melbourne Archdiocese to make the pilgrimage.

"I, along with the youth, experienced Christ the Redeemer," he says.

Fr Henry Adler SVD has been appointed as the Provincial-Elect of the Australian Province of the Divine Word Missionaries.

Fr Henry, who is currently the Mission Secretary for the Province, will take up his three-year term as Provincial in January.

Outgoing Provincial, Fr Tim Norton SVD, said Fr Henry was elected to the position in a vote of his provincial confreres and the appointment was formally approved by the SVD Generalate in Rome.

I am most thankful for the Lord’s steadfast love in my life. He has led and guided the journey of my vocation, and strengthened me to be able to walk this special path. God holds me up when I experience difficult times. I am blessed in my vocation by the joy of his great love. He has always been with me in my journey as a seminarian. This teaches me to totally surrender to God, and understand that being a religious missionary is such a huge blessing for me.

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The Divine Word Missionaries

Mumbai-based sociologist, Fr Joseph Mundananikkal SVD will visit Australia in September to carry out a number of speaking engagements in which he will explore different aspects of India’s social and religious culture.

Holding a M. Phil in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi and a PhD from the same university, since 2009 Fr Joseph has been Director and Superior at the SVD-run Institute of Indian Culture, a post-graduate research centre in Sociology and Anthropology in Mumbai and since 2012 has been assistant professor in Sociology at the State University of Mumbai. He is the National Co-ordinator for India of Mission, Education and Research of the SVD.