The Divine Word Missionaries have accepted an invitation to take up the pastoral care of the indigenous community of Balgo in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region.

Fr Paulo Vanuitu SVD arrived in December 2023, joined by Fr Ronaldo Rodriguez SVD in early 2024. 

The Australian Province of the Society of the Divine Word reaches across to Thailand, where our members work with poor and marginalised communities in a range of areas, including parish work, teaching, and care for children and adults living with AIDs.

The Administrative Centre of the Australian Province of the Divine Word Missionaries is located at Marsfield in Sydney and, apart from their administrative work, the confreres based there are involved in a range of ministries and activities. In addition, SVD missionaries have the pastoral care of the Macquarie Hills parish on Sydney’s southern outskirts, in the Wollongong Diocese.

Divine Word Missionaries are present in the Brisbane Archdiocese, the Rockhampton Diocese and the Townsville Diocese in Queensland.

Most are actively involved in pastoral work, either in parishes or, for the retired members, in helping out with Masses, giving retreats, spiritual direction, mental health ministry, chaplaincy and prayer formation for adults. The Queensland parishes have strong multicultural communities and the new Rockhampton mission will also involve ministry to Aboriginal communities.

The Divine Word Missionaries are engaged in a range of ministries in Melbourne, including the formation of SVD missionaries at Dorish Maru College, the pastoral care of the Parish of Sacred Heart, Preston, and the fostering of spirituality at the Janssen Spirituality Centre, Boronia. Recently, the SVD community began to welcome asylum seekers to the Janssen Spirituality Centre. The asylum seekers live at the Centre in community detention while their claims are being processed. They are cared for pastorally and assisting with skills and training.

The Divine Word Missionaries have answered a call from the Bishop of Darwin to live, work and minister with a number of local communities, including Alice Springs, Santa Teresa, the Tiwi Islands, and Daly River.

This ministry includes in a special way the indigenous peoples of those communities, as well as the people of many different cultures and backgrounds who have settled in Alice Springs and surrounds.