The Divine Word Missionaries played an active role in the recent Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Melbourne by sharing the SVD missionary charism with young Catholics, promoting vocations, and gaining inspiration from them, as well.

Province Vocations Director Fr Yon Wiryono SVD attended with seminarians from Dorish Maru College and for the first time, the SVD collaborated with the Indonesian Catholic Community in Melbourne, highlighting the value in lay people and Religious working together to promote vocations.

The Divine Word Missionaries were in the midst of it when more than 3000 young people from dioceses all over Australia celebrated the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Adelaide this month.

Fr Elmer Ibarra, the SVD Vocations Director, together with Hy Nguyen SVD, a young OTP student in the AUS Province, ‘hung out’ at the Divine Word Missionaries stall at the Festival’s Expo, and shared information and insights about SVD life with visitors to the stall.