The Superior-General of the Society of the Divine Word, Fr Anselmo Ribeiro SVD, made a visit to Thailand and Myanmar in the SVD Australia Province this month, expressing his delight in the commitment of the missionaries and the variety of ministries being undertaken in both countries.

Over the course of five days, Fr Anselmo was given a first-hand experience of ministries ranging from parishes to AIDs ministry, teaching, formation, migrant ministry and more, all within an interfaith cultural context.

The Father-General began his tour in Myanmar on November 4 with a welcome dinner hosted by the local SVD community of Fr Deva Savariyappan SVD, Fr Roger Kyaw SVD and Fr Tuyen Nguyen SVD.

The following day, Fr Tuyen accompanied Fr Anselmo and SVD Australia Provincial Fr Asaeli Rass SVD to the villages of Kauh Queh and Nuynt Paung, where the Father-General concelebrated Mass with the community. He also took time to meet the villagers and share local meals in their homes.

“The Father-General expressed gratitude to the villagers for their care and support for the missionaries, affirming that the area represents a place of genuine SVD mission,” Fr Tuyen said.

Following the village visit, Fr Anselmo visited Kon Ka Lay Parish, which is under the care of the Divine Word Missionaries. Discussions focused on the parish’s future plans, including: Strengthening pastoral activities; Providing education for young people lacking access to schooling; and Supporting catechists and the poor.

“The visit served as an important moment of encouragement for the local community, helping them feel supported in their mission,” said Fr Tuyen.

Later in the day, the Father-General visited the SVD house in Hmawbi, where Fr Deva presented a short history of the SVD presence in Myanmar since 2008 and Fathers Tuyen and Roger shared the joys and challenges of missionary work in the country.

The final stop in Myanmar was a visit to St Joseph’s Major Seminary, Yangon, where Fr Deva works in formation ministry. There, Fr Anselmo celebrated Mass with approximately 120 seminarians. In his homily he encouraged the seminarians to persevere in their vocation through prayer and strong commitment to God’s call.

“The seminarians responded with enthusiasm through attentive listening and vibrant singing,” said Fr Deva.

After Mass, the Father-General was warmly welcomed by the Rector, formators, professors, and religious sisters for a special dinner. In the name of the Father-General, Fr Rass thanked the seminary community for taking care of Fr Deva. Upon hearing this, one of the priests jokingly remarked, “Actually, he is the one taking care of us”.

“The Father-General later told me how impressed he was by the simplicity, knowledge, and openness of the seminary formators and teachers, in spite of the many challenges and hardships they were facing in the country,” said Fr Deva. “The seminary community likewise enjoyed his presence and found the evening memorable.”

The following morning, Fr Anselmo flew on to Thailand, where he stayed from November 6-9, visiting both ministries in Udon Thani Diocese and the capital, Bangkok.

Arriving in Udon Thani in the evening of November 6, the local confreres prepared a welcome dinner at the SVD house.

The following morning, Fr Anselmo and SVD Australia Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD visited the SVD outreach ministry and interacted with the beneficiaries and staff at Mother of Perpetual Help AIDs Center and the Ban Mae Marie Home. He also visited Fr Bihn Nguyen, SVD who’s working as Parish Priest at the local St Michael’s Church and visited the Daughters of Charity Sisters. In the afternoon he met with confreres at the SVD House in Nongbua Lamphu, staying for evening prayer and then dinner together at a nearby restaurant.

On Saturday, November 8, Fr Anselmo visited a local family from Fr Ben Bella SVD’s former parish of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ban Thin, Udon Thani Province, and went to a Buddhist cultural temple near the border between Thailand and Laos. Thailand is a majority Buddhist nation and the SVD ministry there is conducted in a spirit of intercultural dialogue.

“It was a momentous occasion for us to welcome Fr Anselmo our Superior General and Fr Rass our Provincial to our SVD Community in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand,” Fr Ben said.

“For me, the highlight of Fr Anselmo's visit was that it was a warm fraternal visitation to get to know each of us personally and have the opportunity to share our SVD life and mission in Thailand with him.

“Fr Anselmo met with all our community members, sharing stories and words of encouragement. As seven of us are working at different parishes spreading to six provinces in the Diocese of Udon Thani and two brothers are working at Mother of Perpetual Help Center and teaching at a school in Nong Bua Lamphu.

“Each of us had the opportunity to share our mission work and ministry with him. We talked about what is the most challenging, the happiness, the difficulties and planning of the future mission in Thailand and a possibility to reach for another opportunity for the mission in Laos, a nearby country. His presence and words of support and encouragement energised our community and reminded us of our SVD mission here in Thailand.”

Fr Ben said that Fr Anselmo’s visit also had a big impact on the local people.

“He was very touched by how the local people welcomed us. It was a spontaneous warmth and genuine happiness they expressed when we arrived at their houses. Our visit brought joy and a sense of connection to our community and the people we serve.”

His next stop was a brief visit in Bangkok on Sunday, November 9.

Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD said that despite Fr Anselmo’s demanding travel schedule, he made time to spend with the confreres.

“He took time to share meals with us, engage in meaningful conversations, and visit a ministry site where one of our confreres is serving,” Fr Anthony said.

“We also introduced him, even if only briefly, to aspects of Thailand’s cultural and religious landscape.

“I believe he gained a genuine appreciation for the richness of the environment in which we carry out our mission, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by a missionary congregation composed of non-Thai members.

“As we know, many conversations have taken place over the years about how to develop the Thai mission so that it may one day become independent, self-sufficient, and fully inculturated. These remain our long-term goals.”

Fr Rass said that the visit to the region, while brief, gave Fr Anselmo a clear insight into the work of the Divine Word Missionaries in Thailand and Myanmar, especially in the context of working in an interfaith culture.

“He was somewhat overwhelmed by the number of ministries and the creativity of the ministries that the confreres have taken up there,” he said.

“He was very impressed by the pastoral variety happening in this part of the world and he told the confreres that while there is still a lot of work to be done, this is where we belong as SVDs.”

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: Superior-General Fr Anselmo Ribeiro SVD (centre) with Provincial Fr Asaeli Rass SVD and SVD confreres in Myanmar.

TOP LEFT:  Fr Anselmo meets local families in Myanmar

MIDDLE RIGHT: Fr Anselmo giving the homily at a Mass with seminarians in Myanmar.

MIDDLE LEFT: The Father-General with confreres in Thailand.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Meeting local families in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand.

BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Anselmo toured a Buddhist temple, highlighting the interfaith cultural context of the Thailand mission.