Imagine this scene in a movie we may have seen in the not so distant past. A condemned criminal sitting on an electric chair in the last minutes of his life, an executioner just waiting for the signal to pull the lever to activate the electric chair, a police officer looking at the clock waiting nervously until the clock strikes 3pm, the time of the execution, another police officer waiting for the phone to ring. Then just a few seconds before the hour of three, the phone rings.
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.
The Superior-General of the Society of the Divine Word, Fr Anselmo Ribeiro SVD, made a visit to Thailand and Myanmar in the SVD Australia Province this month, expressing his delight in the commitment of the missionaries and the variety of ministries being undertaken in both countries.
Over the course of five days, Fr Anselmo was given a first-hand experience of ministries ranging from parishes to AIDs ministry, teaching, formation, migrant ministry and more, all within an interfaith cultural context.
Mother of the Church parish community in Macquarie Fields has welcomed the Migrant Jubilee Cross as a celebration of faith and cultural richness.
The cross is on a year-long journey across Australia following its launch on the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees & Jubilee of Migrants on Sunday October 5.
The SVD Australia Province rang out with joy this month when Peter Wang SVD was ordained to the priesthood in Melbourne in a celebration filled with faith, culture, love, family and mission.
Peter, who was born and raised in China, was ordained by Broome Bishop Tim Norton SVD, in a Mass marked by poignant moments, including Peter being clothed in his priestly vestments by his parents and his brother Andrew, also an SVD priest, and the inspiration for Peter’s vocation.
During this time of the year, when we are nearing the end of the Liturgical Calendar, our readings are about the “end-times”. And especially when we hear about natural and man-made calamities happening around the world left and right.
For those who are outside Australia, they might be surprised that the capital of Australia is not Sydney but Canberra. In the same way, when one asks where is the “Cathedral basilica of the Pope or the Bishop of Rome, it is almost automatic that one will answer “St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican”. But the cathedral church where the seat of the Bishop of Rome is in is St John Lateran’s Basilica in Rome.
A priest was once asked to explain to a group of school children what purgatory is all about. He said: Just imagine that you went out to play rugby at the play ground which was all wet and muddy. After an hour of playing rugby, your mum said that grandma will pay you a visit in about an hour.
St Anne’s Parish, Palm Island is a small but mission-focused faith community built on outreach, presence, and accompaniment for the island’s mostly First Nations residents
Parish Administrator, Fr Manh Le SVD, says his ministry is largely one of personal encounter, taking the time to share in conversation with the people of the island as they go about their lives.
Fr Ennio Mantovani SVD has been remembered as a dedicated missionary priest whose life and ministry touched the hearts of many, especially through his years of committed service in Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Fr Ennio returned peacefully to the Lord on October 18 in Sydney, Australia and his Requiem Mass took place on Tuesday, October 28 at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield.
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