One of the great gifts and important fields of study during my priestly formation was the study of “Cultural Anthropology”. It was seen as one of the foundation stones for our future missionary life as an SVD. The awareness of what it means to live in a particular culture, that it is ‘like an iceberg with only the tip showing but most of it being not visible’, made us aware of the complexities involved in knowing one’s own culture, let alone learning another culture.

And yet, as a missionary that is what we are meant to do. We not only learn another language when one goes overseas, but we make every effort to learn everything we can about the new people we are asked to serve. Their values, their social structure, their customs, their beliefs, their rituals, and yes, their light and darkness.

On September 8, Good Shepherd Parish in Kirwan came alive with joy and spiritual fervour as the community gathered for two significant events: The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the inauguration of the 150th Jubilee celebrations of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).

This special day was a powerful reminder of our unity in faith, our love for Mary, and our gratitude for the Global Missionary work of the SVDs.

The theme I have chosen for this year’s World Mission Day is taken from the Gospel parable of the wedding banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14). After the guests refused his invitation, the king, the main character in the story, tells his servants: “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find” (v. 9).

Reflecting on this key passage in the context of the parable and of Jesus’ own life, we can discern several important aspects of evangelization. These appear particularly timely for all of us, as missionary disciples of Christ, during this final stage of the synodal journey that, in the words of its motto, “Communion, Participation, Mission”, seeks to refocus the Church on her primary task, which is the preaching of the Gospel in today’s world.Dear brothers and sisters!

The Divine Word Missionaries joined more than 2000 high schoolers, young adults, youth leaders, teachers, priests and religious who took part in a life-changing encounter with God and the Church at the Ignite Youth Conference in Brisbane recently.

SVD AUS Province Vocations Director, Fr Yon Wiryono, who attended the event, said the conference, which reflected on the theme ‘Rise Up’ was “incredible and encouraging”.

The annual SVD Mission Day hosted by Dorish Maru College in Melbourne has been hailed an inspiration, with guest speakers calling on the faithful to live out their baptismal calling in a prophetic way in the spirit of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

Almost 300 people attended the day which was comprised of a seminar, the celebration of the Eucharist and a shared multicultural meal.

The SVD has celebrated 25 years of presence in Thailand – a mission which began with just two SVD brothers responding to the need of the people and which has grown to include 12 confreres working in HIV/AIDS care, parish ministry, education and more.

The Silver Jubilee celebrations incorporated the Feast of St Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the parish in Nong Bua Lamphu, as well as the opening of the 150^th anniversary year of the Society of the Divine Word.

The appointment of Bishop Tim Norton SVD as Bishop of Broome has been met with joy by the local Church, the national Catholic Indigenous community, and the Divine Word Missionaries.

Bishop Tim, who has been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane for almost three years, is a former SVD Australia Provincial and has a deep interest in mission, culture and interculturality.

On September 8, 2024, the Society of the Divine Word worldwide inaugurated the Jubilee Year celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding with the theme: "Witnessing to the Light: From Everywhere, for Everyone." In the Australia Province, we marked this significant occasion with a simple yet profound opening ritual, featuring processions of the Bible, the globe, the Jubilee logo, and the Jubilee candle. Each symbol embodies the deep missionary spirituality of the SVD.

This ritual coincided with the priestly ordination of Cuong Quoc Dang, SVD, marking the beginning of his own journey as a missionary – a witness to the Light. My reflection on this Jubilee theme is deeply inspired by this event, particularly as it relates to our Australia Province. As Cuong Dang begins his journey of witnessing to the Light, it is worth considering several key principles that not only guide him but all of us, writes Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD.

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

When Fr Aloysius Nato SVD first arrived in Melbourne in July 2010, he spotted a beautiful church from his car window and was told it was Sacred Heart Preston, an SVD parish. Ten years later, he was appointed to serve in that parish – only it was during the Covid lockdown period and there were no parishioners in the pews.

Four years down the track, the parish has returned to full life again and is putting in place action plans to realise its ambition of becoming a vibrant faith community and a missionary parish.