SVD students at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne, together with other new arrivals in the Province have expanded their understanding of life in Australia during a month-long Summer Acculturation Program.
The Program was held at beach-side St Leonards, near Geelong in Victoria, and aimed to give the participants, who come from a range of cultural backgrounds, a firm grounding in living and working in the multicultural society of Australia.
One of the organisers of the program, the Assistant Formation Director for the SVD Australia Province, Fr Yon Wiryono SVD, said the program is designed to help the students and newly arrived missionaries to integrate with life in the Australian context, both in broader society and in the Church.
“Life in Australia is quite complex,” Fr Yon said. “We need to understand the history, the core values and also the ongoing changes as a result of immigration and globalisation and modern technology that shapes the life of people in Australia.
“Therefore, having the bigger picture of all of this helps our newcomers to adapt, to shift perspective when needed, and enables them navigate their new life here and contribute to the mission in the Australian context.”
The Program covered a range of topics, including the outcomes of last year’s SVD 19th General Chapter, and the theme of the SVD’s 150th Jubilee Year, ‘Witnessing to the Light: From everywhere for everyone’.
The participants also spent time getting to know the Province’s Vision and Mission Statements.
In putting the program together, Fr Yon and the Formation Director, Fr Linh Nguyen SVD, acknowledged that it is not easy to enter and live in a new culture.
“There is a possibility of homesickness, culture shock and even conflict in ministry and community living,” they said in the program’s preamble.
“This is a summer holiday time in Australia. The program is based and connected to the spirit of summer holiday Down Under. It should be special, enjoyable and relaxing for everybody and there should be opportunities for a lot of fun together as a group.”
The Program included participants spending a day with the Australian Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD.
Other topics included: the history of the SVD AUS Province and of the Catholic Church in Australia; Racism and Women in Australian culture, both in the Church and society; Culture shock and self-care in mission; Interculturality and the Vows; How to behave in public in Australia; Drinking and driving in 
Australia; Modesty and Etiquette in Australian/Western culture; and Understanding a living healthy celibacy, poverty and obedience in mission today.
There were also sessions on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation; Safeguarding and professional standards; Budget and Finance Management in mission; SVD Parish Pastoral Ministries’ opportunities and challenges in Australian Church and Society; Pastoral Ministry and community life; Mission as a call to love and authentic living; Mission and Prophetic/Interfaith Dialogue; Pastoral Wisdom and Healthy Relationships in Church ministry.
Participants took part in sessions on Aboriginal spirituality and the SVD’s ministry with First Nations people; Cross-cultural competency for Mission; and Interculturality as an SVD Commitment and Mission.
The participants themselves also led sessions sharing with the group about their own cultures.
Student Christopher Boss, from Thailand, said he felt the program had equipped him with essential skills for his missionary formation by teaching him how to adapt to new cultures, respect local traditions, and navigate the challenges of a multicultural community.
“Understanding Australian laws, professional standards, and cultural expectations ensures that I am prepared for mission work while upholding ethical responsibilities,” he said.
“As a student in the Australian Province, this program helps me to integrate better into Australian society by improving my communication skills, teaching me to be open-minded, and encouraging me to build relationships with local Australians.
“Learning to appreciate the direct communication style and sense of humour here makes daily interactions easier and helps me become more confident in engaging with people from different backgrounds.”
Jakub Doktor, who is Slovakian and in Australia for two years as part of the SVD’s Overseas Training Program, said he had picked up certain aspects of Australian culture during his year spent learning English and also in his recent pastoral ministry experience with Indigenous communities in Central Australia, but felt the Acculturation Program allowed him to go deeper.
“I was very happy to be on the Acculturation Program which had lots of interesting topics,” he said.
“These topics brought me knowledge, more light, and showed me ways of how I can do things better, for example in communicating with others, to be open, to understand how the law can protect me, and learn more about Aboriginal history and culture, the SVD mission and history, and colonisation in Australia.”
Jakub said he enjoyed the time spent walking on the beach and hearing from the speakers how he can learn from nature about God’s greatness and his loving care. He also enjoyed spending time with his missionary brothers in a relaxing situation.
“This time brought a lot of positive things into my life,” he said. “I know that after the Acculturation Program, I am happy to go back to Santa Teresa because I have gained a lot of encouragement and motivation for my pastoral ministry which is still before me,” he said.
Meanwhile, Philippines-born Fr Jun Perez SVD, who is the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the Australia Province and has missionary experience in Russia, Africa, South Korea and Thailand, said that as a relatively recent new arrival in the Province, he also gained much from the Acculturation Program.
“The highlight of the course for me was the interaction of all the participants, especially our seminarians,” he said.
He said despite the schedule of the program, the students managed to share their time and put in great effort to cook dinner for the participants.
“It is a glimpse of their future life as a missionary, especially when the comforts of life are not available. It gives them a wider perspective of community life, how to manage your schedule, and how to be productive with limited resources.”
Fr Jun said the program also helped him on a personal level, to address some of the questions running through his head as he fulfils his duties as the JPIC Coordinator.
“Considering the previous assignment I had in the same Characteristic Dimension (JPIC), I’ve found it more challenging here,” he said. “The Acculturation Program gave me the chance to understand where the context is coming from, the ‘how’s’ of doing mission here, and putting it in the right perspective.
“In doing so, I am becoming more aware of the dynamics of the situation of where I am now. Everything is intertwined: history, cultural diversity, the life of the Church and the secular world in our midst. I have to take into consideration that everything is a part and parcel of my ongoing formation and how to live my missionary life here, especially in the JPIC world.”