After 15 years of missionary life in Brazil, including a number of years living with the people of the Amazon River, Fr Manh Le SVD says he is pleased to be back in Australia, even though life is taking a bit of getting used to.

“I feel a bit like a fish out of water,” he laughs. “It’s a big adjustment. But it’s good to be back and I’m looking forward to making a contribution here.”

Happy New Year! I hope that as we’re already in the last week of January, it’s not too late to say that. Although, of course, for our Asian friends, the New Year is still to come, so maybe I’m in time after all.

I’m not really one for New Year’s Resolutions. I mean, like most people, I’ll try to eat better and exercise more and all that, but really, I prefer to just try and stay open to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit in my life, and in this busy, noisy world, that can be a challenging enough resolution in itself.

The SVD in Myanmar joined the local parish of Hmawbi to host hundreds of people from surrounding areas in their property when Pope Francis came to town recently.

The house, which is still undergoing renovation, was at a stage where tiling had been completed and it was fit and habitable for the guests.

Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD is based in Bangkok, part of the SVD AUS Province, and when Pope Francis visited nearby Myanmar on November 29, he was at the Papal Mass and managed to get a few great photos of the Holy Father on his phone, which he posted to social media.

Here, he reflects on whether in getting those photos, he missed the opportunity for a more personal encounter with the Pope.

About 80 young people from SVD parishes and chaplaincies in Alice Springs, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney made the pilgrimage to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Sydney early this month, an event they say “changed hearts” and “opened minds”.

The youth kicked off their ACYF experience with a vigil gathering at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield, which was broadcast on Facebook Live, before heading to Homebush for the Festival.

Different cultures came together in music and song to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Multicultural Christmas Carols, hosted by the Divine Word Missionaries in Sydney and Brisbane.

The SVD Marsfield Community hosted its annual Christmas Carols Festival and St Mark’s Parish, Inala hosted an ecumenical, multicultural Carols evening in Brisbane.

While most of Australia prepares to hit the beach, 11 Divine Word Missionary seminarians are spreading out across Australia over Christmas and the summer period to spend time in parishes, gaining valuable pastoral experience and cultural exposure to help them in their missionary formation.

Three of the seminarians from Dorish Maru College are undertaking their summer pastoral ministry in Alice Springs and Santa Teresa, while others will go to Inala Parish in Brisbane, Macquarie Fields Parish in Sydney, and Preston and Noble Park Parishes in Melbourne.

Christmas is almost upon us and summer in Australia is in full furnace-like swing. It’s a far cry from the snow-bound Christmases of my home country Germany, but the sounds and the smells of an Aussie Christmas have an allure all of their own.

Of course, it’s not all cricket and prawns on the barbie. Australia’s Christmas traditions have been enriched over the years by the people from many different cultures who have made their home here and who do Christmas in their own special ways.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has today given its final report to the Governor General. Many of the findings and recommendations will have significant impact on the way the Catholic Church operates in Australia.

“We acknowledge with gratitude the courage of all those survivors who have come forward to the Royal Commission,” Sr Ruth Durick OSU, President of Catholic Religious Australia said.

One of the things that a religious missionary who is far away from home enjoys is phone conversations with family members. Recently I had a memorable conversation with my Dad. Each year at this time of the monsoon season, Dad works tirelessly in preparation for the paddy Harvest.

In my last conversation with him, I asked Dad, how the preparation is going for the Harvest. To my surprise he said, that this year the farm is not in its prime healthy condition, because of the incessant rain. The chilli fields are more often prone to infestation of pests. However, he expressed his eagerness in waiting for the paddy harvesting in the early weeks of December.