SVD seminarians at Melbourne’s Dorish Maru College swapped their academic books for some ‘on the ground’ experience over the summer break, with some spending time in parishes, while others undertook work or clinical pastoral experience, lived with a local family, or headed home on leave.

The students, who come from a range of different countries, said the hands-on experiences of pastoral and working life in Australia had a big impact on their formation to become missionary priests.

Formation Director for the SVD Australia Province, Fr Yon Wiryono SVD, said that the summer program provided a range of experiences to complement the student’s academic studies.

“Doing pastoral ministry in the parishes is one of the ways where the formation of our seminarians is rooted in the ordinary and concrete life of the local church, especially the multicultural church of Australia, and in the context of the indigenous people,” he said.

“It helps them to understand more about the real situation of ministry or mission in our local churches.”

Fr Yon said work experience was also crucial in forming well-rounded future priests, who could empathise with the working lives of their parishioners.

“Work experience has been helpful for our seminarians to get real with the struggles of life, especially in terms of finding jobs or working for long hours to earn a living,” he said.

“It helps them not to take for granted of everything that is provided for our life and formation; everything needs sacrifice and hard work.

“Also, work experience helps our seminarians to be creative and learn new skills for future mission. In this way, we are preparing missionaries who can manage to adapt and survive in the different contexts of mission.”

Fr Yon said the summer program affirms the importance of contextual, pastoral, and insertion experiences, where those in formation encounter poverty, suffering, and real human struggles.

“Such exposure shapes missionaries who are compassionate, grounded, and capable of credible prophetic witness in diverse mission contexts,” he said.

Gusty Siga spent his summer pastoral experience in Central Australia and said that sharing his time between Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Alice Springs and Santa Teresa Parish in an Aboriginal community about 90km away, allowed him to be part of life in two very different pastoral settings.

“Alice Springs is active and vibrant, with many parish activities and ministries taking place each day,” he said. “Santa Teresa, on the other hand, is much quieter and follows a slower rhythm of life. 

“The faith of the communities, especially in Santa Teresa, is simple, resilient, and deeply grounded in culture and connection. Both settings taught me that parish life looks different in each community, but at its heart it is always about being present to the people and walking with them in faith.”

He said the highlight of his time in Central Australia was “simply being with the people, especially the First Nations People, listening to their stories, sharing time with them, and accompanying them in their daily lives”.

He was also “deeply grateful” for the opportunity to learn from four different SVD priests, each of whom showed him a unique way of living out the priesthood.

Gusty said the experience contributed greatly to his formation as a missionary priest.

“The challenges of extreme heat and cultural differences, especially in Aboriginal communities, taught me patience, humility, and flexibility. I learned to slow down, to listen more deeply, and to respect ways of life different from my own. These experiences strengthened my vocation and helped shape my desire to serve as a priest who accompanies people with compassion, openness, and trust in the Holy Spirit.”

Also serving in Central Australia was Maximilian Bhuja who was assigned to Santa Teresa Parish.

He said his time in Santa Teresa was his “most challenging” experience so far in his missionary formation, especially in terms of the intense desert heat, which made it hard to go out and meet people, and the small attendances at Mass, especially through the week.

Maximilian said this reality prompted him to reflect on his calling and to wonder whether he could “do small things that can draw people to a love for the Eucharist”.

“Additionally, this experience encouraged me to be more creative in implementing mission and building dialogue with the surrounding community.”

Krisna Papalese said that being immersed in parish life on the Tiwi Islands was “interesting, unique, and full of surprises”.

“As a seminarian, I tried to learn every day from the people and two priests in my community. My unforgettable memories on Tiwi Island come from the experience of hearing the local language which is beautiful and interesting,” he said.

“The culture, especially the funeral ceremonies, is unbelievably stunning. And the way people understand the family members and the role of the Church in their lives is impressive.

“Moreover, I was impressed by how faithful, genuine, and friendly the Tiwi people were during my stay in the Islands. I felt at home in a foreign country, I found joy in the limitations, and I could sense the presence of God in their simplicity as a community and individual people.”

Krisna said that getting to know the people and the culture, and being present with the people, while also sharing his own Indonesian culture and faith was a highlight.

“Definitely, all the experiences that I got from being on the Tiwi Islands will contribute a lot to my understanding of how I should be as Divine Word Missionary,” he said. “It helped show me how to become a humble and listening priest, and how I should be creative in mission.”

Selfiano Bau Correia spent his summer break in St Mark’s Parish at Inala in Brisbane.

“My impression of parish life in Inala Parish is that it is vibrant, multicultural, and deeply rooted in faith,” he said. “The community is welcoming and reflects a rich diversity of cultures, languages, and traditions. Despite different backgrounds, there is a strong sense of unity and support through activities held in the parish.”

Selfiano said a highlight for him was the opportunity to engage closely with parishioners through liturgies, pastoral visits, and community gatherings. “Witnessing the faith, resilience, and generosity of the people especially their active participation in parish life has been both inspiring and encouraging,” he said.

“This experience contributes greatly to my formation as a missionary priest by helping me develop pastoral sensitivity, cultural awareness, and a deeper spirit of service. Serving in a multicultural parish like Inala teaches me to listen attentively, adapt to different pastoral needs, and proclaim the Gospel with compassion and humility. It is shaping me to become a priest who is present, approachable, and committed to serving all people.”

Arnold Yansen Klau Tefa undertook his pastoral ministry at Sacred Heart Parish, Preston, in Melbourne and also spent a week living with an Australian family.

Arnold said that with parish life being all about serving God by serving others, he contributed in the best ways he could.

“I become an altar server and prepared the Mass, books, and other liturgical things,” he said. “I also welcomed parishioners to church and handed out the bulletins, as well as doing some gardening and some cooking. I believe that when we serve others with love, we are also serving God.

“In the presbytery, the parish priest taught me how to survive, be independent in taking care of myself, as well as how to solve problems and be creative in mission.”

As well as his time in the parish, Arnold also stayed for a week with an Australian family, which he said helped improve his adaptability to a different culture, context and situation, and also included a day at the beach.

“I was open to learn and I enjoyed it,” he said. “The lady I lived with, Jeanette, showed me by her way of life that she is an extraordinary person. She is in her 80s and very disciplined, reading books, driving, and active in parish ministry. I learned good things from her way of life.

“I gained a lot from this summer experience. I hope that I can apply the values, advice and skills that I have obtained to my formation.”

Meanwhile, Mengjie Li undertook formation of a different kind by taking a job delivering groceries, before heading back to China on home leave.

“From this work experience I have learned so many things, not only how to do the job, but also how to deal with customers,” he said. 

He said he also learnt, through experience, to heed his manager’s advice and not rush, to avoid making mistakes.

“I reflected to myself that I have to listen and learn from others,” he said.

Mengjie said he also learnt that by smiling and being friendly towards customers he received goodwill back from them.

“From those two reflections, I see that listening and smiling are very important, and being humble to accept others. I want to pass my faith to people not just by words but through my behaviour, it’s more convincing,” he said.

Thuc Truong undertook his work experience with a landscaping firm, with duties focusing on installing artificial grass.

“My daily tasks include preparing the ground, levelling and compacting the soil, cutting and fitting the artificial turf, and securing it carefully along edges and corners. The work requires patience, precision, and physical strength,” he said.

“I clearly remember one particularly hot day spent compacting the ground and fixing the turf under the sun, feeling exhausted but continuing alongside my co-workers until the job was completed properly. That experience stayed with me.

“Being involved in this kind of manual labour has helped me stay grounded and connected to the everyday experiences of working people. It has also contributed to my SVD formation by deepening my sense of humility, perseverance, and solidarity, reminding me that missionary life is shaped not only through study and prayer, but also through honest work, shared effort, and faithful presence in ordinary daily life.”

Other summer break experiences included Jacob Yang and Khoa Duong undertaking their Clinical Pastoral Experience at Melbourne hospitals, Christopher Boss doing work experience and home leave, and Luong Tran completing summer studies at Dorish Maru College.

Khoa completed his CPE course at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and said it offered “invaluable learning opportunities” that helped him develop in “pastoral practice and spiritual growth”.

“I came to treasure the disciplined practice of attentive listening and the ability to discern God’s presence in the patients I encountered,” he said. “I believe that these practices of deep listening, together with the valuable experience of encountering God in patients, have enriched the essential skills required for my future ministry and have strengthened my  journey of faith.”

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: Gusty Siga with parishioners at Santa Teresa during his summer pastoral experience.

TOP LEFT: Maximilian Bhuja in Santa Teresa with Mia, who painted the artwork behind. Maximilian says Mia, a parishioner, taught him how to pronounce words in the traditional Arrernte language. "I was very excited to meet this lady."

MIDDLE RIGHT: Selfiano Bau Correia with junior altar servers at Christmas at St Mark's Parish, Inala.

MIDDLE LEFT: Arnold Yansen Klau Tefa experienced a day at the beach as part of his week living with an Australian family. He also undertook pastoral ministry at Sacred Heart Parish, Preston.

LOWER MIDDLE RIGHT: Mengjie Li delivers grocery items during his work experience.

BOTTOM LEFT: Thuc Truong lays artificial grass for his work experience.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Khoa Duong completed his Clinical Pastoral Experience at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne.