The first ever Asia Pacific Workshop of SVD Lay Partners has been hailed a huge success with 38 people attending from eight countries and 11 Provinces.

The gathering was held in the Philippines and was a significant step forward in the growth of the lay partners movement within the Divine Word Missionaries.

It was organised by AUS Province Mission Secretary, Fr Truc Quoc Phan SVD, in his capacity as Zonal Coordinator for the ASPAC region.

“This inaugural workshop was an outstanding success and St Arnold Janssen (founder of the SVD, SSpS and SSpSAP) would have been very pleased with the outcomes, as it was his vision from the beginning of the order to collaborate with Lay Partners in mission work,” Fr Truc says in his report on the gathering.

Among the main objectives of the first ASPAC Workshop were: To share the experiences of SVD Lay Parnters in the Zone; to seek collaboration and partnership; to renew their Arnoldus spirituality; and to learn new directions from the latest SVD General Chapter.

Topics for the workshop included: General Chapter and Lay Partners; The Laity and New Evangelisation; Arnoldus Family; Arnoldus Spirituality; Formation Manual and Structure of lay partner groups; Interculturality.

“In addition to the talks, there were also group presentations where everyone had the opportunity to share their experiences of Lay Partner Groups – looking at the strengths, the weaknesses and the joys,” Fr Truc says.

“All agreed that they learnt such a lot during the workshop, and in particular, everyone seemed moved by the pervading sense of spirituality during the group discussions.”

Fr Truc says the workshop was especially blessed to have former Superior-General, Fr Tony Pernia SVD moderating the workshop each day.

“Leveraging off the content of the talks and the group discussions, Fr Pernia presented a synthesis which brought together the key outcomes of the workshop and from which Provinces were asked to compile an action plan,” he says

The synthesis focused on three key areas of Organisation, Formation and Mission.

“Once these action plans are in place, the final step envisaged is for collaboration at the sub-zonal level, to come up with an action plan for the combined Lay Partner Groups within that sub-zone.”

Fr Truc says a particularly momentous event during the workshop was the coming together of the entire Arnoldus Family when the group made a visit to the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (SSpS) and the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration (SSPSAP) located nearby, who each share St Arnold Janssen as founder.

“For the first time, the four branches of the Arnoldus family came together,” Fr Truc says.

“Sr Libron expressed it well in her talk, that the entire family has ‘Complementarity and Collaboration’ in areas such as spirituality, mission animation and vocation animation and therefore the Lay Partners are a welcome addition to the family, serving only to strengthen the focus on living a life of Mission.”

During the final Mass, a fourth candle was lit in honour of Lay Partners now being the fourth pillar of the Arnoldus family.

Mervyn Rodrigues, President of the SVD Lay Partners group in Marsfield, Sydney, says there was a great feeling among the group.

“It was great that the different lay partner groups were each at a different stage of development and growth, so we could all learn and leverage off each other’s strengths and challenges,” he says.

“We came together in the spirit of the 2018 Chapter’s theme, ‘The Love of Christ Impels Us,’ as captured in the Workshop’s official logo.

“We went home celebrating our oneness and unity, despite our diverse cultures and background. We spoke one language – the language of love, especially evident during the concluding ceremonies when everybody couldn’t hold the tears back as we went around hugging each other while singing James Horner’s ‘If We Hold on Together’.”

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: The group of Lay Partner group representatives from right across the SVD ASPAC zone, gathered in the Philippines.

MIDDLE LEFT: Former Superior-General Fr Tony Pernia SVD addresses the workshop.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A rare gathering of all four parts of the Arnoldus family - the SVD, the SSpS, the SSpSAP, and the Lay Partners.