Debra Vermeer
International Lay Partners gathering an 'inspirational and transformative' event
An international gathering of SVD Lay Partners in Italy was an “inspirational and transformative” event for Helen Festejo, who represented the Australia Province.
“It was very enriching,” Helen said of the meeting which took place in Centro Ad Gentes, Nemi, outside of Rome, from mid-February to early March.
Ministries of hope provide inspiration in this holy season
Well, here we are, about to enter into the Paschal Triduum, those most sacred three days in which we immerse ourselves in the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
When I think of Easter, I think of hope. Hope that through the resurrection, the brokenness and the woundedness we see in our lives and in our world will not have the final word.
SVD donors helping those living in India’s slums to build better life
The Divine Word Missionaries in the Indian state of Odisha are running a range of projects to support people living in the marginalised slum communities and to give them the education, skills, motivation, leadership animation, and financial assistance to help lift them out of poverty, reports Society Matters mission magazine.
Fr Rasal Xess SVD, the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the SVD India East Province (INE) said the urban poverty is characterised by exclusion, including inadequate and insecure housing and basic services, limited access to services like health, nutrition and water sanitation.
Through the desert God leads us to freedom - Pope Francis Lenten Message
In his Lenten Message for 2024, Pope Francis recalls that Lent "is a season of conversion, a time of freedom" because "God does not want subjects, but sons and daughters" and, citing the Book of Exodus, he emphasises that the Word of God addresses each one of us personally today: "I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery".
Along these lines, the Holy Father emphasises that "it is time to act, and in Lent to act also means to pause, to pause in prayer, in order to receive the word of God, to pause like the Samaritan in the presence of a wounded brother or sister" because "love of God and love of neighbour are one love".
'I hear the call to Indigenous conversion' - Palm Island missionary
Fr Manh Le SVD has been a missionary with the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and now Australia’s Indigenous peoples, on Palm Island, and his ongoing search into Indigenous spirituality recently led him to participate in an ecumenical conference exploring the role of the churches in Indigenous history since European settlement.
He said the Tribal Voice for Justice: An Indigenous Theological Revolution conference in Melbourne was an opportunity to delve deeper into his understanding of indigenous spirituality, and the need for ongoing personal and communal conversion in indigenous matters.
Feast day celebrations bring people of all faiths together in Thailand
The Presentation Parish in Thailand celebrated its feast day recently with a special Mass and shared meal attended by the local bishop, parishioners and villagers, including people from other faiths.
The parish is situated on the banks of the Mekong River between the Thai-Laos borders and the villagers came together to decorate the church beautifully for the celebration and prepare special food to share together afterwards.
Parish celebration highlights missionary nature of the Church
Members of the Divine Word Missionaries who are serving in the Good Shepherd Parish, Kirwan, in Townsville recently celebrated SVD Mission Weekend with parishioners.
The Mission Weekend also marked the postponed feast day celebrations of SVD founder, St Arnold Janssen.
May this Lent lead us ever closer to our loving God
Lent really crept up on us this year, didn’t it? It felt like we were no sooner waving a wistful farewell to the Christmas season when Ash Wednesday was upon us.
Now, we are well and truly in the midst of our Lenten journey – a journey that will take us all the way to Calvary and then, to the glory of Easter.
Missionaries dive into NZ assignments with cultural induction course
Three SVD missionaries who have recently arrived in the Archdiocese of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, have begun a year-long induction program for incoming clergy from overseas, called ‘Landing the Waka’.
Fathers Akuila Taliauli SVD, Raja Kommareddy SVD and Uili Uvea SVD joined Fr Ravi Kumar Voliganti and Fr Nicholas Phone Myint MF (Myanmar) in the program which was hosted by Church Mission staff and Vicar General Mons Gerard Burns, for a three-day retreat at the Magnificat Centre in Cross Creek, South Wairarapa.
Students gain pastoral experience over summer academic break
SVD students at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne have been spending their summer academic break well, with some completing hospital pastoral placements and others enjoying time in SVD parish communities.
Formator of Scholastics, Fr Linh Nguyen SVD, said the summer placements aimed to give the students pastoral experience, as well as deepen their cultural understanding and English language skills.
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