By Fr Niran Veigas SVD

The theme of our SVD's 19th General Chapter and its reflections clearly indicate how missionaries need to deepen their understanding of mission, identity, charism, and spirituality. One aspect is crystal clear: we are called to become a light in the wounded world for oneself and for others.

The Divine Word Missionaries are completing a year with our presence at Tiwi Islands. During this year, it has been a time of reflection, understanding, walking along, appreciating the culture, being with the people in sorrow, and, above all, making the Tiwi people know that we are with them.

The Catholic Church's presence in Wurrumiyanga can be traced back to 1911, when Catholic missionaries first arrived on the Tiwi Islands. These early missionaries recognised the uniqueness of the Tiwi culture and sought to integrate Christianity while respecting and preserving the islanders' traditional beliefs and practices.

The Catholic Church has a rich and vibrant history on the Tiwi Islands, a remote and culturally significant region in Australia's Northern Territory. Among the prominent communities on the islands, Wurrumiyanga stands out as a place where Catholicism has deep influence in the lives of the local Tiwi people. In the early 1900s, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) established a mission station on Bathurst Island, which later became known as Wurrumiyanga. The MSC missionaries worked tirelessly to build a strong bond with the Tiwi community, learning the local language and customs to better connect with the islanders. The long-time legacy of the MSCs came to an end last year, and they handed over the mission to the Divine Word Missionaries.

True to our Chapter’s theme, we are trying to become the ‘Light of Christ’ to our people on this island. Many funerals and sorrowful events have made us aware that these people are emotional, mourning the death of their loved ones. It is not only the family that becomes sad, but the whole community comes together to express sorrow. The challenges we face as missionaries teach us how to be the 'Light of Christ’ amidst the darkness.

On a positive note, we can see the ‘Light of Christ’, when the people invite us to pray in their homes, reach out to the people who are sick  in the community, administer the sacraments, and conduct prayer services, etc. We have also found how the Tiwi people love and respect the Church. We are currently campaigning for the restoration of the ‘Historical Church’, which is about 82 years old. The entire Tiwi community has come forward to join hands and collect funds through various means. Local people have contributed generously whenever we conducted wheel games, sold clothes, had barbecues, sold soft drinks, etc. This movement has brought people together and created a deeper understanding that ‘This Church is Ours’. With the generosity of Tiwi and non-Tiwi people, we will be able to restore the glory of this Historical Church.

These little positive moments have made us realise that people love us, and they have deeper respect for the missionaries. As we reflect on the 19th General Chapter and being with the First Nations people, we feel that we must be able to share the light of compassion, sympathy, appreciation, and, above all, a deep respect for the local culture and tradition. We are being called to become that light, the light of Christ in our mission.

PHOTOS: TOP RIGHT: Bishop Charles Gauci and parishioners at Mass at Wurrumiyanga - Bathurst Island.

BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Niran Veigas SVD (back right) and Fr Hung Nguyen SVD with students from the local school.