Pope Francis has appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane, the Most Reverend Timothy Norton SVD, to be the third Bishop of Broome.

Bishop Norton was born in Sydney in 1958 and initially trained as a physiotherapist, working in inner-city Darlinghurst with young people who were experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental health issues. He entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1984 and took his first vows in 1986.

The Gospel passage of this Sunday in fact speaks about an unnamed person’s encounter with Jesus and his profound question to Jesus about eternal life.

The Thailand-Myanmar District celebrated the Jubilee Opening on September 28, as part of the District’s celebration of its Silver Jubilee in Thailand (1999-2024).

The celebration took place at St Michael Archangel Church in Nong Bua Lamphu Province, NE Thailand.

Fr Cuong Quoc Dang SVD will soon take up his first missionary assignment in Angola following his ordination to the priesthood in Melbourne this month.

Cuong’s journey to a religious vocation began in his home country of Vietnam and continued in Thailand, where he first met the SVD, before coming to Australia to complete his studies and formation

With the SVD’s Sesquicentenary Year now underway, we are looking forward to a raft of events and celebrations around our Province in the leadup to the 150^th anniversary of the Foundation of the Society of the Divine Word on September 8, 2025.

Among these is the annual SVD Mission Day in Melbourne, to be hosted by Dorish Maru College and held on October 12. The Congregational Leader of the Sisters of St Joseph, Sr Monica Cavanagh RSJ will be the principal speaker, with systematic theologian and experienced pastoral associate, Dr Cecilia Francisco-Tan the respondent. All are welcome.

The Divine Word Missionaries Australia Province launched the Jubilee Year for the 150^th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word this month, the first of many Sesquicentenary events to be held throughout the year.

The occasion in Melbourne was a double celebration, also featuring the priestly ordination of Cuong Quoc Dang SVD, who will continue the missionary legacy when he takes up his first assignment to Angola.

The Divine Word Missionaries were well-represented at the recent Australian Catholic Communications Congress, which took the theme, ‘Missionary Message for the Modern World’.

The SVD also came away from the Congress with an Australasian Catholic Press Association award for an article on confreres growing their own gardens – an activity which contributes to both spirituality and sustainability.

During his prime, Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight-boxing champion of the 60s and the 70s proclaimed one day, “I am the greatest! I am the greatest!” When he said this nobody tried to refute it, for during his time, he was indeed the greatest.

Nearly 100 friends and benefactors gathered at the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) community in Bangkok on Sunday, September 15, to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of SVD’s presence in Thailand.

While the main celebration is scheduled to take place in Nong Bua Lamphu Province, northeastern Thailand, on September 28, the Bangkok community held a local event for those unable to make the 600 km journey to Nong Bua Lamphu.