Migrants will always be in the heart of the Catholic Church, finding a home away from home, a parish and community that is always open to welcome them into their midst, Fr Jun Perez SVD said in a presentation to a national conference on migrants and refugees recently.

Fr Jun was among the guest speakers at the 8th ACMRO conference in Sydney, which took the theme ‘Migrant Communities in a Synodal Church’, exploring how migrant communities serve as evangelisers and missionaries of hope within the Church and the broader Australian community.

The Janssen Spirituality Centre in Boronia on Melbourne’s outskirts is inviting individuals and groups to a range of activities and opportunities for reflection to help promote both inner peace and world peace at a grassroots level.

From spiritual direction to interfaith dinners, Bible studies and retreat days, the Centre aims to be a tranquil space of peace and reflection within easy reach of the city.

As you receive this edition of In the Word, the universal Church has just celebrated the 112^th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

Taking the theme, ‘Even just one of these children’, inspired by Matthew 18:10, Pope Leo XIV’s message for the day focused on the vulnerability of minors on the move who are forced to flee due to war, poverty, violence and environmental disasters.

On behalf of the leadership team of the AUS Province, with a grateful heart I greet each one of you on this special day, as we celebrate the Foundation Day of the Society of the Divine Word.

Arnold Janssen, the founder of the SVD struggled with the idea of founding a religious congregation in a very challenging historical situation, writes Fr James Areechira SVD, in a reflection ahead of SVD Foundation Day on September 8.

Our constitutions characterise Arnold Janssen as a man of prayer, of unshakeable trust in God– a man of deep faith. He was ever open to God’s plans, offering unconditional surrender to his will. An open-minded man of great apostolic zeal, Arnold responded to the call of the Holy Spirit and the needs of people.

Fr Truong Le SVD cares for three rural parishes in different villages of the Isan region of northeastern Thailand – All Saints Church in Ban Muang, The Epiphany Church in Ban Chad, and St Lucia in Namphong.

And while each of those communities in Khon Kaen Province are small and located in an area known as being the poorest region in the country, Fr Truong says the friendship and support from locals, both Catholics and Buddhists alike, and an enduring love for the Eucharist, form the foundations of his parish ministry.

Queensland’s five Catholic bishops visited Palm Island recently, spending time with parishioners, school students, staff and religious, while prayerfully acknowledging both the troubled history of the island for Indigenous peoples as well as the hope that is alive there today.

Parish Priest Fr Manh Le SVD said the visit was an occasion for what he has termed an “Indigenous conversion” of heart for the bishops.

Multicultural Sunday celebrations in SVD communities in Sydney and Brisbane have brought together a diverse range of groups, showcasing their cultural heritage, while celebrating the gift of unity in faith.

At the SVD’s provincial headquarters at Marsfield in Sydney, the annual Multicultural Sunday event attracted big crowds, despite the threat of inclement weather, with SVD parishes from Macquarie Fields and Ingleburn in the Wollongong Diocese joining in the festivities.

It has been a time of celebration at St Mark’s Catholic Parish in Inala, Brisbane, with Fr Bosco Son SVD being installed as parish priest and Fathers Joseph Vu SVD and Linh Nguyen SVD marking significant jubilees.

Fr Bosco was installed as parish priest this month by Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay in a Mass which also incorporated Multicultural Sunday.

One of the many things that we as Divine Word Missionaries like to do is contribute to thought, study and discussion about how mission intersects with the pressing issues facing humanity in our world today.

As part of this discussion, it is my pleasure on behalf of our Province to invite you to attend an online event we are hosting which will explore the topic of "Integral Human Development in a Fragmented World: Perspectives on Ecology and Digital Technology”, to take place on September 18.