The ‘Our Lady of Peace and St Therese’ community in Wurrumiyanga (Bathurst Island) celebrated the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) congregation recently, writes Fr Niran Veigas SVD.
The Wurrumiyanga community gathered to thank God for the countless blessings bestowed upon them through the tireless service of the OLSH sisters, who have faithfully served the Tiwi Islands for over 112 years.
The Divine Word Missionary seminarians took a break from Dorish Maru College in Melbourne over winter and embarked on an epic pilgrimage to the spiritual heart of Australia – an experience which had a big impact on their hearts and their formation as missionary priests.
The pilgrimage took the students from Melbourne to Adelaide, Coober Pedy, Uluru, Alice Springs, Santa Teresa and Port Augusta. They were accompanied by Formator of Scholastics, Fr Linh Nguyen SVD and Vice-Rector of Dorish Maru College and OTP Director, Fr Yon Wiryono SVD.
The St Arnold Janssen Chapel and the surrounding grounds of the SVD Marsfield Community took on a vibrant and colourful character earlier this month with the celebration of Multicultural Sunday.
More than 400 people gathered for the popular event, which returned after four years disruption due to the COVID pandemic.
We are very close to the opening of celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word.
In the Australia Province the opening of the anniversary year on the SVD Foundation Day, September 8, will take place on the same day that we witness the ordination to the priesthood of Deacon Cuong Quoc Dang SVD in Melbourne.
“After hearing Jesus (as he taught in the synagogue at Capernaum), many of his followers said, ‘This is intolerable language! How could anyone accept it?”. (John 6:60)
In today’s Gospel passage, we indeed see the continuation of the discourse on the Bread of Life from last Sunday. Who is the Bread of Life? Jesus himself.
The 19th General Chapter of the Society of the Divine Word concluded on Sunday, July 14, with a Thanksgiving Liturgy featuring the installation and commissioning of the new Superior General, Father Anselmo Ricardo Ribeiro SVD, and his General Councillors, marking a significant leadership transition.
Australian Provincial Fr Asaeli Rass SVD and Provincial delegate Fr Prakash Menezes SVD both said the month-long Chapter had been hard work, but was a positive experience of the global life and mission of the Society of the Divine Word.
St Mark’s Catholic Parish in Inala is well-known for its multicultural richness, and that cultural diversity underpins the faith life and missionary outreach of the parish community.
The relationship between St Mark’s parish and the Divine Word Missionaries goes all the way back to the start when Fr Aloysius Kasprus SVD was appointed the first parish priest in 1956.
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/svdaus
Upcoming Events
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
In the spirit of reconciliation, the Society of the Divine Word, Australia Province, acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, sky, and community.
We acknowledge their skin-groups, story-lines, traditions, religiosity and living cultures.
We pay respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all indigenous peoples of New Zealand, Thailand, and Myanmar.
We are committed to building with them, a brighter future together.