Two young SVD seminarians have arrived in Australia to begin their Overseas Training Program, spending time in several ministries of the Divine Word Missionaries in the Province to deepen their lived experience of missionary life.

Yulles Vitoria is from Brazil and Felix Infant is from India and both have arrived at the SVD’s formation house, Dorish Maru College in Melbourne, looking forward to being immersed in new cultures, languages and missions.

Fr Satheesh Voora SVD has arrived in Wellington, New Zealand to take up his first overseas missionary assignment, following his recent ordination in India.

He said his arrival in the Australia Province has been met with warm hospitality from both SVD confreres and the parishioners of the Te Awakairangi Parish in Lower Hutt, to which he has been assigned as assistant priest.

Three young SVD seminarians professed their final vows as Divine Word Missionaries this month and were ordained as deacons as they continue their journey towards the priesthood.

Agustinus Buu Araujo Siga, SVD (Gusty), Antonius Kristanto Papalesa, SVD (Krisna), and Anthony Khanh Ngoc Nguyen, SVD (Khanh) made their final profession at St Paschal’s Chapel, Box Hill, in Melbourne on Saturday, March 21, before being ordained to the diaconate in the same chapel the following day.

Fr Shiju Paul SVD has arrived to take up ministry in the Australia Province after almost 30 years as a missionary in India, various parts of Africa and the United States.

Fr Shiju said he is open to working wherever he is assigned in the Province, but has a special interest in living and working with Australia’s First Nations peoples and providing presence, deep listening and accompaniment.

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.

Reflecting on my journey as a Divine Word Missionary, I do so in the spirit of ongoing formation that lies at the heart of the Society of the Divine Word. My life and vocation have unfolded across diverse contexts—Vietnam under communism, migration to Australia, formation within SVD communities, mission experience in the Amazon, and pastoral ministry on Palm Island.

Each stage has become a formative space where the Word of God, mission, and community have shaped one’s identity. Throughout this journey, three attitudes have consistently sustained my vocation: hope, humility, and humour.

Two young men from Vietnam have made their first profession of vows in the Society of the Divine Word following their postulancy in Thailand and a year-long novitiate in the Philippines.

Hung Dinh Nguyen and Joseph Pham Van Thong joined the SVD Australia Province in Thailand and will now prepare to undertake their seminary studies and formation with the SVD Australia Province at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne.

As the Church in Australia celebrated National Vocations Awareness Week this month, the SVD Australia Province issued an invitation for people to join in celebrating the ordination to the priesthood of Shouzheng Peter Wang SVD in November.

Peter is currently serving as a deacon in Melbourne and his ordination to the priesthood will be the next step in a vocational journey which began back in his home country of China and brought him to Australia.

The SVD Australia Province celebrated joyfully recently when Shouzheng Peter Wang SVD professed his perpetual vows as a Divine Word Missionary and was ordained to the diaconate.

As Peter made his final profession, in the presence of his family who had travelled from China, along with confreres and friends, he was joined by SVD seminarians from Melbourne’s Dorish Maru College who renewed their temporary vows.

Two Divine Word Missionary students from Vietnam who are in Australia as part of the SVD’s Overseas Training Program have renewed their temporary vows and are now looking forward to continuing their studies and formation in Melbourne.

Khanh Ngoc Nguyen SVD and Thuc Van Truong SVD renewed their vows in separate ceremonies in the parishes where they were undertaking a pastoral placement.