As I write this message, millions of Australians are once again living in COVID lockdown across New South Wales, the ACT, and Victoria. Gatherings are banned, families are separated and many people have either lost employment or taken a blow to their income. Of course, many are also suffering from the health effects of COVID and a significant number of people have died. We pray for them.

In amongst these challenges and difficulties we have been forced to continually adapt to the new circumstances we face. The SVD has also been called upon to adapt to new ways of doing things and in September we will hold our first ever online Provincial Assembly.

A new initiative aims to invite Pacific Islanders living in Australia to embrace the principles of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and become positive agents of change for their homelands by bringing their voice to the fight against climate change.

Fr Asaeli Rass SVD says the Laudato Si Movement, in partnership with the Edmund Rice Centre’s Pacific Calling alliance will encourage ex-patriot Pacific Islanders to work for a better climate future for their home countries.

The Divine Word Missionaries are embarking on a fundraising campaign to help secure a small campervan which would allow the missionaries in Central Australia to stay with outlying Aboriginal communities for longer periods.

At the moment, the missionaries drive hundreds of kilometres to be with the people in those communities, but often, after celebrating Mass or other sacraments, they have to turn around and make the long drive back to Alice Springs again.

Members of the SVD AUS Province have been enjoying a time of reflection during July, as they took part in the annual Province retreat, which, due to the pandemic, was offered online this year by American biblical scholar, Fr van Thanh Nguyen SVD.

Fr van Thanh, who is Professor of New Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, deliver the retreat on the topic, ‘The Love of Christ Impels Us: A Retreat with Saint Paul and the 18^th General Chapter’, to confreres from Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar.

The current COVID pandemic has made it so much harder to reach out in ministry to others. This reaching out was something that I previously took completely for granted but now I can only make the best use of those ministerial opportunities that are available, within a seemingly never-ending cycle of lockdowns. So far, we have experienced five lockdowns in Melbourne and have just emerged somewhat from the latest one.

One can be tempted to lose hope that one’s ministry will ever return to those former, more “sunny” times. Some of my ministry, before COVID, had been helping out in neighbouring parishes as well as ministry at a large aged care facility.

Fr Larry Nemer SVD, who died in Sydney last month, has been remembered as an accomplished scholar and theologian, a dedicated teacher, much-loved family member and a happy priest for more than 60 years.

Fr Larry was born and raised in Chicago and grew up in “a very Polish Catholic neighbourhood”, attending the local Polish Catholic Grammar School.

The Divine Word Missionaries will have two members at the upcoming Plenary Council and both say they are looking forward to being a part of such a forward-looking and significant process for the Catholic Church in Australia.

Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, will be a member of the Plenary Council and attend its official sessions in October, as will Alice Springs Parish Priest, Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, who will be part of the Darwin Diocese’s delegation, due to his role as Episcopal Vicar for the Diocese’s Central Region.

This month’s celebration of the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, instituted by Pope Francis, struck a note with me and I’m sure for many others as well.

In my Pacific island culture, the elders in our families and in our villages are deeply honoured and I have beautiful memories of my grandparents and their special role in my life.

A few days ago as I was watching the TV news, there was an interview in which the reporter asked the interviewee about the secrets of happiness. That person said many people in the world try to attain happiness by possessing things of the world the first. For example a job, money, house, marriage, children, grandchildren etc.

According to him that is the wrong approach. He suggested that we must first be happy and then seek worldly possessions. This way will help one to be more efficient to attain worldly success. More than 2000 years ago Jesus said the same thing in a different way when he said, “Therefore, seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added to you as well.” (Mt. 6:33)

A new series of online video conversations featuring people of different faiths and belief systems aims to broaden the scope of interfaith dialogue.

Fr Thien Nguyen SVD, who is part of the initiative, says each of the conversations focuses on the basic, unifying exploration of one key topic – love – as lived and expressed by those being interviewed.