The arrival of the Divine Word Missionaries at the Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd in Townsville, Queensland marked a significant change for the community, but now, three years down the road, parishioners have not only embraced the SVD’s missionary outlook but shared their own strong faith as well.
The SVD was invited to the Townsville Diocese by Bishop Timothy Harris to undertake parish ministry both in the suburbs of the city and also with the First Nations peoples of Palm Island.
The first missionaries to arrive there in 2021 were Fr Joseph Reddy SVD and Fr Clement Baffoe SVD who were assigned to the Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd, and Fr Manh Le SVD, who was assigned to St Anne’s Parish on Palm Island.
Today, Fr Joseph remains as Parish Priest in Townsville, with Fr Joe Jacob SVD recently assigned as Assistant Priest following Fr Clement’s departure for Rome to undertake further studies. Fr Manh Le continues his ministry on Palm Island. The SVD ministry has also expanded to include Fr Jan Szweda SVD and Fr Gideon Awudi SVD who are assigned to St Francis Xavier Parish in Townsville. The Holy Spirit Sisters, part of the Arnoldus Family, are also present in both Townsville and Palm Island.
Fr Joseph says the Divine Word Missionaries received a warm welcome from the Good Shepherd parish community right from the start.
“My hopes when we first arrived were that the ministries we are involved in Townsville would enable us to spread the Word and bring people closer to each other and to God, and this has certainly happened,” Fr Joseph says.
“We were very warmly welcomed, and we feel very much a part of the local community now.”
The Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd has at its core, two Community Centres – The Ryan Community Centre at Kirwan and the Good Shepherd Community Centre at Rasmussen.
Each of these centres is equipped with small chapels where the Eucharist is reserved and are available for private prayer and reflection as well as for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Demographically, most parishioners are Australian-born, along with some migrants, mostly from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Africa and the Pacific islands.
The parish has a strong commitment to Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation, offering short-term safe accommodation to women and children experiencing domestic violence as well as accommodation for refugee families. Working with Fr Manh Le, the parish community is also committed to accompanying Australia’s First Nations peoples, and helped host a recent National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council national assembly. The St Vincent de Paul Society is also active in the parish, helping those in need in the community.
Fr Joseph says the missionary nature of the parish is enhanced by the fact that the Community Centres are available for hire to community groups for various meetings.
“Many civic functions, along with meetings of school, sporting and community groups use our buildings day and night,” he says.
The parish includes a number of schools, including Ryan Catholic College, the Good Shepherd Catholic School, St Benedict’s Catholic School, as well as two Mary MacKillop Early Learning Centres at Kirwan and Rasmussen.
“Being a regular part of the school communities is a central part of our ministry in the parish and something we really enjoy,” Fr Joseph says. “Whether it’s celebrating school Masses or other liturgies, or being part of sacramental preparation, assemblies and other school events, or just talking with the students in the playground.”
The parish also has a youth group which meets regularly and a Children’s Liturgy.
Fr Joseph says the parish supports a range of prayer and devotional opportunities, including a Mothers Prayer Group and a Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group which meets every Sunday night.
Social gatherings are also encouraged, with a group of parishioners meeting for coffee every second Tuesday and social celebrations following liturgical events.
One such occasion which underscores the missionary life of the Good Shepherd Parish, is the celebration of SVD Mission Weekend.
Fr Joseph said the aim of the SVD Mission Weekend was to help parishioners know more about the Divine Word Missionaries and be part of the Mission around the world by their support and prayers.
“Gone are the days when we used to hear the saying, ‘The Church has a mission’,” Fr Joseph says. “Nowadays it has transformed into, ‘The mission has a Church’.
“By this saying, the Church is now highlighting the importance of mission in the life of every Christian.
“A missionary Church has to have a missionary people, a people who engage with their whole beings in mission, which is most simply bringing to others the Good News.”
Assistant Priest at Good Shepherd Parish, Fr Joe Jacob SVD says the SVD Mission Weekend is a great way to encourage reflection on the meaning of mission.
“According to (the Vatican II document) Ad Gentes, the pilgrim church is missionary by nature,” he said.
“Thus, the Arnoldus family is very much part and parcel of this pilgrim church through which the Word of God is being widely spread to the hearts and minds of various people living in Townsville, Australia and across the globe.
Thuc Truong, who is in Australia as part of the SVD’s Overseas Training Program, and is currently enjoying pastoral experience in the Good Shepherd Parish, said the Mission Weekend and celebration of the feast of SVD founder St Arnold Janssen was a unique opportunity “to enlighten the parishioners of Ryan Parish about our global mission as missionaries working tirelessly around the world”.
Parishioner and parish secretary Kathy Serrurier says the parish is a warm and welcoming community, always ready to try new ideas.
“The thing I love about this parish is the active community,” she says. “Everyone wants to help each other out. Everyone wants to join whenever there’s something to be joined in with.”
Fr Joseph says while the parish continues to be receptive to the SVD charism and spirituality, including a commitment to intercultural living, the missionaries have been equally blessed by the faith of the people.
“It is so inspiring to walk together with people on the journey of faith here in Townsville. We are also happy to be a part of the wider local Church in the Townsville Diocese. Our hope is to continue to deepen the mission, faith, and spiritual formation in the parish, accompanying one another along the way.”
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: OTP student Thuc Truong SVD with parish priest Fr Joseph Reddy SVD and asistant priest Fr Joe Jacob SVD at the Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd in Townsville.
MIDDLE LEFT: Fr Joseph with Fr Clement Baffoe SVD and parishioners at a multicultural celebration.
MIDDLE RIGHT: Fr Joseph with parishioners wearing their national dress.
BOTTOM LEFT: Members of the Arnoldus Family gather in Townsville to celebrate the SVD Foundation Day in 2023.