Mission is about more than bringing God’s love to people in far-off lands – it’s also about sharing God’s love with people closer to home, in our parishes and communities, and it’s a responsibility for all Christians.
Fr Asaeli Rass SVD is the Provincial of the Divine Word Missionaries AUS Province, which covers Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar, and he says there’s never been a more exciting time to be engaged in mission.
“With the Plenary Council preparations and discernment underway it’s a good time to really explore the Plenary Council theme of being a Christ-Centred Church that is Missionary and Evangelising,” he says.
“We, as an order of missionaries are really engaging in that and responding to it.”
The Divine Word Missionaries is one of the 10 largest missionary religious congregations for men, in the world with 6,000 members serving in 80 countries. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary in Australia this year.
The charism, or special characteristics of the order, are based around four pillars: the Biblical Apostolate; Communications; Mission Awareness and Animation; and Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation.
They are also known for their multiculturality and for their pastoral care of migrant communities, with a strong emphasis on working in multicultural parishes and celebrating cultures, as well as engaging in interfaith at the local level and a strong contribution to missiological and anthropological research.
While the SVD AUS Province trains young missionaries from all around the world to serve overseas, it has also recently been accepting the invitations of various bishops to administer parishes at home.
“That’s part of our focus now. Recently we’ve been taking on more parishes in response to the requests of bishops, especially in regional areas and areas of need,” Fr Rass says.
“And so we work with the vision of the local bishop and of course, the local people, but we also bring with us our own particular missionary focus and our charisms and our spirituality.
“An SVD parish aims to be a welcoming Church where no-one is excluded, which fits in well with two of the Plenary Council themes: ‘A Welcoming and Merciful Church’.
“We encourage strong lay collaboration in all spheres of parish life”
“And as well as the important focus on the Bible and the sacramental life of the parish, we also promote an eco-spirituality in our parishes, which might include the installation of solar panels, a commitment to recycling and using renewable energy.”
Fr Rass says the SVD is enthusiastic about joining with the rest of the Church in Australia in exploring the themes in the Plenary Council.
“We’re excited about the Plenary Council and also about the recent report prepared for the Bishops and baptised Catholics on Church Governance, The Light of the Southern Cross. These documents excite us as missionaries, to push the boundaries a little bit and see what the Spirit of the Incarnate Word is asking of us now, in this place. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Church and we don’t want to be spectators, we want to be a part of it.”
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: Fr Truc Quoc Phan SVD with parishioners in Emerald, Central Qld - one of the new parishes the missionary congregation has been invited to take up this year.
BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Prakash Menezes SVD celebrates Mass in Central Australia The SVD cares for parishes in Alice Springs Santa Teresa Uluru and other outlying communities.