SVD-ness. This sounds familiar to us, especially when we think of our identity which uniquely differentiates us from other religious congregations.  As we have recently inaugurated the Jubilee Year of the 150^th anniversary of our beloved SVD, we, SVDs are all invited to celebrate this special milestone with much more awareness of strengthening and deepening our core identity as SVD religious missionaries.

This reflection is centred on a few essential aspects of living out our SVD-ness in the light of the Jubilee theme “Witnessing to the Light, from Everywhere for Everyone”.

Fr Kevin Cantwell SVD, who recently celebrated 65 years as a priest, says his vocation came to him as a bolt out of the blue, and once received, it never wavered, giving him a lifelong sense of certainty which he believes “must have been a matter of grace”.

“My vocation was solid from the moment I received it. It came to me one morning in just a minute or two. I didn’t think about it or weigh up the pros and cons or anything like that. I had no hesitation about it,” he said.

Fr Boni Buahendri SVD this month marked the 25^th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood with a multicultural Mass and celebration hosted by the parishioners of St Mark’s Parish, Inala in Queensland.

Fr Boni said the celebration was a time to give thanks to God for his missionary vocation and to all the people he has journeyed with along the way.

Fr Bill Burt SVD marked his Golden Jubilee of priestly ordination recently with a “simple celebration” with confreres and friends at Melbourne’s Dorish Maru College.

It was fitting that Fr Bill’s celebration took place in an SVD formation house, given that he has worked in the formation area on several occasions over those 50 years of priesthood and missionary life.

The Alice Springs community celebrated the 50th anniversary of the opening of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart church and 90 years of Catholic sacramental life in Central Australia recently with the unveiling of a new stained glass window depicting Jesus and Mary in Aboriginal art.

The huge window, based on the painting of local Arrernte woman Kathleen Wallace, was unveiled during a special ceremony on Saturday, October 12. The jubilee celebrations continued on Sunday, with a Mass celebrated by Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci.

It’s been a season of celebration for the Divine Word Missionaries AUS Province recently, with a number of jubilees, including the significant milestone of 60 years a priest for Fathers Frank Gerry and Ennio Mantovani.

Fr Frank and Fr Ennio marked their Diamond Jubilees with special Masses and social celebrations, giving thanks to God for their priestly vocation.

Fr Erwin Schmutz SVD has worn a few different hats over the last 60 years – priest, missionary, medic and botanist to name just a few – but as he celebrates his Diamond Jubilee, he says it is the people he has lived amongst and ministered to that stand out for him.

Fr Erwin was born in Ingolstadt, on the River Donau in Bavaria, Germany, and spent 30 years as a missionary in Indonesia, then some years as a German Airforce chaplain, before arriving in the SVD AUS Province where he was chaplain to Adelaide’s German community for many years.

The Feast of SVD missionary, St Joseph Freinademetz was an extra special celebration for the Divine Word Missionaries’ Marsfield community this year, as confreres, friends and guests joined together to mark jubilees for Fr Kevin Cantwell and Fr Don Grant.

Fr Kevin was celebrating 65 years in vows as a Divine Word Missionary and Fr Don Grant was celebrating 50 years since priestly ordination.

We gather here this morning to give thanks and to celebrate the priestly and missionary life of Fr Jim Knight, Divine Word Missionary – 50 years of faithful service in the vineyard of the Lord!

This is a real achievement, isn’t it! Something worthy of celebration, not just by the individual but by the community at large, for Fr. Jim did not achieve this alone. That is why he has gathered his family and friends here this morning. Gratitude fills his heart, and gratitude fills our hearts too.

The SVD AUS Province has recently celebrated jubilees adding up to 150 years of Divine Word Missionary service, with confreres giving thanks to God for the life to which they have been called.

Fr Jim Knight SVD marked 50 years as a missionary priest and Fr Jacob Kavunkal SVD marked 50 years in vows, with celebrations in Alice Springs and Melbourne respectively. The Melbourne celebration also honoured the 25-year jubilees of Fr Michael Hardie SVD and Fr Joseph Vu SVD.