Fr Prakash Menezes SVD says his return to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Alice Springs feels like “coming home”, as it was the first parish he was assigned to as a Divine Word Missionary more than five years ago.

Back then, Fr Prakash was in Alice Springs as assistant priest, but last month, he returned to be installed as Parish Priest.

The SVD AUS Province has welcomed two new postulants, who have answered Jesus’ call to “come and see”.

Aaron Ong from Brunei and Shehan Fernando from Sri Lanka have taken the step to join the Divine Word Missionaries and test their vocation to religious missionary life.

What strange and unsettling days we are living in. Within a matter of weeks our society has been rendered almost unrecognisable thanks to the spread of the coronavirus and the restrictions that are now in place to save lives.

In beautiful autumn weather we see many Australian beaches fenced off and deserted. Shopping centre shelves have been stripped, thousands of people have lost their jobs, churches are closed and even the footy has been cancelled. Where can we find hope in all of this?

The SVD is establishing a new mission in the Rockhampton Diocese, based in the regional town of Emerald in Queensland’s central highlands.

The Divine Word Missionaries were invited to take up the appointment by the Bishop of Rockhampton Michael McCarthy.

Three young Divine Word Missionaries took their final vows earlier this month and were also ordained to the diaconate, marking a significant point on their vocational journey.

Yosef Meda and Adrianus Mai from Indonesia joined Clement Baffoe from Ghana in professing their vows before Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD on Saturday, March 15 at St Paschal’s Chapel, Box Hill.

Due to government regulations concerning the coronavirus, there will be no public Masses or other gatherings at St Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield until further notice. Our office is also closed to visitors.

Our priests are continuing to say Mass privately and will be praying for you and your intentions. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular updates and information.

The call to be born again during Lent is all about our willingness and openness to recognise the goodness, the giftedness, the God and Jesus presence in the minds and hearts of our neighbour, writes Fr Michael Knight SVD.

During Lent then we are all called to die to our old selves so that a new self and a new community can be born.

SVD missionary students spread out from Dorish Maru College in Melbourne over the summer months to take up pastoral placements in different Divine Word Missionary communities around Australia.

Some enjoyed the experience of suburban parish life, while others immersed themselves in Indigenous culture in Central Australia, or joined in ministry at the Janssen Spirituality Centre in Victoria.

The SVD AUS Province’s newest mission in Myanmar is continuing to unfold, as the missionaries get to the know the people, the language and the place.

The Divine Word Missionaries have been on the ground in Myanmar for almost two years now, following an invitation from Cardinal Charles Bo SDB to establish a Bible ministry in his Archdiocese of Yangon.

Luis Robles from Ecuador has been engaged in mission work since he was 15 years old, and now, as a Divine Word Missionary student, he is spending time in the SVD AUS Province, opening himself up to a different culture and experience.

Luis, aged 26, is in Australia as part of the SVD’s Overseas Training Program (OTP) and says he is enjoying everything he does and “trying to make memories”.