Missionary life in Central Australia is a world away from the cobblestones and church domes of Rome, but Fr Oliver Noclam SVD is about to make that transition as he takes up a new appointment for the Society of the Divine Word.

Fr Ollie, who is currently Parish Priest at Santa Teresa - Ltyentye Apurte, an Aboriginal community about 80km from Alice Springs, has been appointed as Assistant English Secretary at the SVD’s Generalate.

Bishop Tim Norton SVD has promised the people of the Kimberley that he wants to listen, heal, work, pray, and enjoy life together, as he was installed this month as the third Bishop of Broome in a liturgy rich with faith and culture.

Beginning with a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony by Yarawu elders outside the church and a Welcome to Country by Erica Bernard, the local people, languages and cultures of the Kimberley played a central role in the installation Mass, which concluded with women elders leading a sung blessing over their new bishop. Local languages enriched the hymns and prayers.

This Christmas will not only open a Jubilee Year for the Universal Church, declared by Pope Francis, but also comes as the Society of the Divine Word celebrates its 150^th Jubilee Year.

The theme of the SVD Jubilee is ‘Witnessing to the Light: From Everywhere for Everyone’ and that theme makes a great Christmas meditation, because it was on that first Christmas, more than 2000 years ago, that the Light of Christ came into our world. And we, as followers of Christ and missionaries, are witnesses to that Light.

The SVD’s formation house, Dorish Maru College, in Melbourne invited a large group of friends and supporters to its annual ‘Thanksgiving’ celebration to express the gratitude of students and staff for all those who’ve given assistance to the students in their formation this year.

Dorish Maru Rector, Fr Elmer Ibarra SVD said the guest list ranged from the staff of the college to those who tutored the students in English, those who helped them gain their driver’s licence or hosted them in their families or on their farms during their summer break.

Holy Family Catholic Parish is a big, vibrant, multicultural parish on Sydney’s south-western outskirts and while its people come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, they are one body in Christ and committed to continually growing as a missionary parish.

The parish is comprised of the two communities of Ingleburn and Minto. Fr Henry Adler SVD has been parish priest there since 2022.

The SVD Australia Province launched its Jubilee Year Online Lecture Series this month, exploring the Jubilee theme, ‘Witnessing to the Light: From everywhere for everyone’ from the Biblical perspective.

The webinar featured a keynote presentation from Fr Wojciech Szypula SVD, the coordinator of the SVD Generalate Biblical Apostolate in Rome, with a response by Fr Elmer Ibarra SVD, coordinator of the Biblical Apostolate from the Australia Province.

The SVD members who are ministering in the Queensland District gathered in Townsville  recently for a week of reflection centred on spiritual renewal, strategic discussions and missionary collaboration.

A highlight of the gathering was a presentation by Fr Prakash Menezes SVD about his experience at the 19^th General Chapter in Rome.

As we begin the season of Advent, I’m sure we are looking forward to many warm and congenial gatherings with colleagues, family and friends.

One of the pre-Christmas gatherings we always enjoy here at the SVD Marsfield community is the shared lunch with the staff and our SVD seniors. We are blessed to have the presence of these retired missionaries in our midst and it is always interesting to hear their stories from the past as well as their current plans and activities.

The theme I have chosen for this year’s World Mission Day is taken from the Gospel parable of the wedding banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14). After the guests refused his invitation, the king, the main character in the story, tells his servants: “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find” (v. 9).

Reflecting on this key passage in the context of the parable and of Jesus’ own life, we can discern several important aspects of evangelization. These appear particularly timely for all of us, as missionary disciples of Christ, during this final stage of the synodal journey that, in the words of its motto, “Communion, Participation, Mission”, seeks to refocus the Church on her primary task, which is the preaching of the Gospel in today’s world.Dear brothers and sisters!

The Divine Word Missionaries joined more than 2000 high schoolers, young adults, youth leaders, teachers, priests and religious who took part in a life-changing encounter with God and the Church at the Ignite Youth Conference in Brisbane recently.

SVD AUS Province Vocations Director, Fr Yon Wiryono, who attended the event, said the conference, which reflected on the theme ‘Rise Up’ was “incredible and encouraging”.