Fr Kevin celebrates 65th jubilee of priestly ordination with thanksgiving for missionary vocation
Fr Kevin Cantwell SVD, who recently celebrated 65 years as a priest, says his vocation came to him as a bolt out of the blue, and once received, it never wavered, giving him a lifelong sense of certainty which he believes “must have been a matter of grace”.
“My vocation was solid from the moment I received it. It came to me one morning in just a minute or two. I didn’t think about it or weigh up the pros and cons or anything like that. I had no hesitation about it,” he said.
Bathurst Islanders welcome parish priest as 'part of our Tiwi family'
“You are part of our Tiwi people; you are part of our Tiwi family.” These were the words spoken by one of the Traditional Owners of the Tiwi Islands earlier this month during the official installation of Fr Niran Veigas SVD as parish priest on Bathurst Island.
Fr Niran was installed at Our Lady of Peace and St Therese - Wurrumiyanga, Tiwi Islands by Darwin Bishop Charles Gauci in an emotionally moving and culturally rich Mass almost two years after the Divine Word Missionaries arrived in the Tiwis.
In this Easter season, let us bear the Good News to those who need it most
Happy Easter to you! In this Easter season we continue to celebrate the Good News that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead – Alleluia!
As missionaries it is this good news of Jesus’ love for us and his victory over death and sin that we seek to share and it is news that is sorely needed in our wounded world.
AUS Province members contribute to new book on caring for our common home
A new book on caring for our common home has been written and published for a Vietnamese audience, with a number of Divine Word Missionaries from the Australia Province and beyond contributing their knowledge and skills to it.
Entitled, ‘Caring for Our Common Home: A Christian Mission - A Human Responsibility’, the book was edited by Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD, who is a member of the Australia Province based in Bangkok.
New church roof for Thai parish brings sense of renewal
Parishioners at the Immaculate Conception Church in the Thai village of Sangkhomphatthana will enjoy their Easter celebrations under a brand new roof – the final part of a long-running renovation project that will keep them dry in the rainy season and cooler in the heat.
Fr Truong Le SVD said the church, located near the Mekhong River bordering Laos, had been in need of a few roof and ceiling ever since he arrived in the parish four years ago, but a damaging storm during the rainy season made the project more urgent.
Cuong gives thanks as he takes final vows and is ordained to the diaconate.
Cuong Quoc Dang SVD’s profession of final vows as a Divine Word Missionary in Box Hill, Melbourne, this month, followed by his ordination as a deacon, were pivotal moments in a winding, but grace-filled vocational journey.
Accompanied by his mother and parish priest, who travelled from Vietnam to share in the joy of the occasion, Cuong was also surrounded by fellow Divine Word Missionaries and other religious and lay people connected to the SVDs.
Paschal Triduum a time of collective lament & renewed hope
For each of us, this has been a unique experience of Lent and Holy Week, reflects Fr Asaeli Rass SVD.
When I arrived in Myanmar few days ago, much of the suburbs of Yangon were still in darkness and reports of ongoing armed conflict in northern Shan, Rakhine and Kachin are adding uncertainty about the future of this beautiful country. I too am conscious of what’s happening in Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and science has not completely eradicated COVID-19. It is shocking to think how much the world has changed in such a brief time. Now we enter all of this, into the epic stories of the Paschal Triduum.
International Lay Partners gathering an 'inspirational and transformative' event
An international gathering of SVD Lay Partners in Italy was an “inspirational and transformative” event for Helen Festejo, who represented the Australia Province.
“It was very enriching,” Helen said of the meeting which took place in Centro Ad Gentes, Nemi, outside of Rome, from mid-February to early March.
Ministries of hope provide inspiration in this holy season
Well, here we are, about to enter into the Paschal Triduum, those most sacred three days in which we immerse ourselves in the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
When I think of Easter, I think of hope. Hope that through the resurrection, the brokenness and the woundedness we see in our lives and in our world will not have the final word.
SVD donors helping those living in India’s slums to build better life
The Divine Word Missionaries in the Indian state of Odisha are running a range of projects to support people living in the marginalised slum communities and to give them the education, skills, motivation, leadership animation, and financial assistance to help lift them out of poverty, reports Society Matters mission magazine.
Fr Rasal Xess SVD, the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the SVD India East Province (INE) said the urban poverty is characterised by exclusion, including inadequate and insecure housing and basic services, limited access to services like health, nutrition and water sanitation.