In the SVD Australian Province, attempts at being prophetic about Christ present in the people who have been pushed aside have taken various forms over the years. Prophetic indeed, when Divine Word Missionaries are trying to recognise the face of Christ in caring for asylum seekers and refugees (Melbourne & Bangkok), advocating for people living with AIDS (Thailand), ongoing support for the plight of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Central Australia) and constantly raising funds to assist the many needed projects around the world (AUS Mission Office and MissionNZ).

Many have also dared to reach out in friendship to people at CANA communities in Sydney, who are suffering from loneliness, mental illness and addictions. The Missionaries also work in faith communities in more than 60 countries, with people of all faiths and none.

After nearly a decade holding the purse-strings of the SVD across the world, Fr Stephan Gerdes SVD has arrived in the AUS Province, ready for God to reveal his new mission assignment.

Fr Stephan, who was born and raised in Germany, has been Treasurer-General of the Society of the Divine Word, based in Rome since 2010 and before that was a missionary to Papua New Guinea.

With my time as Provincial drawing to a close at the end of this year, and still plenty of things to cross off the ‘to-do’ list, there hasn’t been much time for reflection on these past six years.

But as I write this column, it is a chance to take a few moments and consider what God has done in our Province and to give thanks for blessings received.

Leadership for mission is based on inclusivity, dialogue and encounter and it must be deeply anchored in a trusting relationship with God and a desire to share the joy of the Gospel, a visiting US religious sister told the recent Mission: One heart many voices conference in Sydney.

Dr Carol Zinn ssj, a Sister of St Joseph from Philadelphia and Executive Director of the US Leadership Conference of Women Religious, was a keynote speaker at the conference co-hosted by Catholic Mission and Catholic Religious Australia.

Is religious life dying or is it simply changing? I pondered this question again recently as I presided at the final vows of two of our young missionaries who are giving themselves freely and joyfully to a life which, let’s face it, is slightly out of vogue.

I believe it’s changing, rather than dying, and while change is always uncomfortable and challenging, it usually leads us to new growth and, in this case, I believe, to greater authenticity.

As I walked with my confreres from the parish to our community after Mass, it struck me that we were like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. Like the two disciples, my confreres and I have had the same experience but whilst their experience was the death of Jesus, ours was growing up in a continent that has been stricken by poverty.

We thank God that we have taken the vow of evangelical poverty. However, we did sincerely ask ourselves: “How poor are our Religious in Africa compared with the local people?”

The vibrant reality of the Religious presence in Australia’s Red Centre was on full display again recently when 27 people from 11 different religious congregations and 11 different countries, gathered for the Easter Monday Picnic.

The Picnic for Religious is held in Alice Springs twice a year, at Easter and Christmas, and is a chance for the Religious to come together in an atmosphere of relaxation and fun, to share their experiences of life and ministry in Central Australia.