On April 21, 2001, the Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield, NSW was blessed and officially opened by Bishop Peter Ingham, then Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney.

Twenty-five years later, this milestone was celebrated by the community that gathered for Mass on April 26 this year, Good Shepherd Sunday, writes Pia Tenedero.

The SVD missionaries in Thailand and Myanmar are well-loved and appreciated by both the local bishops and the people, reported Fr Boni Buahendri SVD, after his first visit there as Provincial.

Fr Boni began his trip in Myanmar, before moving on to Bangkok and then the Diocese of Udon Thani in Thailand.

Catholics from Fiji and other Melanesian islands who are living and working on the west coast of the United States of America have been learning about synodality and ‘listening in the Spirit’, thanks to a visit from Fr Asaeli Rass SVD.

Fr Rass, who completed his term as Provincial of the AUS Province at the end of last year, has been visiting the US with the Archbishop of Suva, Peter Loy Chong.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish in Alice Springs opened its doors for an extended period of prayer following the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby in the Central Australian town last month.

Parish Priest, Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, said that on the day the little girl’s body was found, the parish remained open for prayer and lighting of candles until 9pm, with a steady stream of people making their way to the church.

Integral human development is not just an abstract concept, but a lived practice of building bridges in our fragmented world, the SVD Australia Province’s first Mission, Education and Research webinar for 2026 heard this month.

The online presentations are exploring the theme, ‘Integral Human Development in a Fragmented World’, with the first session focusing on ‘Biblical and Mission Perspectives’, featuring distinguished scholars Roger Schroeder SVD and Vien V. Nguyen SCJ.

As you receive this edition of In the Word, we have recently celebrated Pentecost and are about to celebrate Trinity Sunday.

These are two feasts in the liturgical year that were very close to the heart of the SVD founder, St Arnold Janssen, and are an integral part of the spirituality of the Divine Word Missionaries.

The SVD Australia Province celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday – World Day of Prayer for Vocations by launching a new suite of vocations materials, urging young people to begin a dialogue with God about where their life is going.

Vocations Director, Fr Joe Jacob SVD, said the new brochures, posters and social media materials helped explain what a vocation is and also issued an invitation to consider life as a Divine Word Missionary.

Christ is risen! He is truly risen! Alleluia!

Today’s Gospel, on this very special day, takes us to the morning of the first day of the renewed creation. It is not merely the dawn of another ordinary day, but the beginning of a wholly new era, of a reality transformed by the victory of life over death, said the Society of the Divine Word's Superior-General, Fr Anselmo Ribeiro SVD in his Easter Sunday homily.

A seminarian from China has arrived at the SVD’s Dorish Maru College in Melbourne to undertake Theology studies and complete his formation for priesthood.

Ling Shuang Niu (Francis), who arrived earlier this month, will first engage in English language studies as he begins the journey of learning the Australian way of life.

Happy Easter! As you receive this edition of In the Word, we are midway through the Easter season, with our Sunday gospel readings highlighting the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and the joy this brings to his followers.

The empty tomb reminds us that God’s power brings new life and endless hope and, here in the SVD Australia Province, we are experiencing this with a range of new missionary assignments and new initiatives to support confreres in their missionary life.