Volume 33 No. 3 | Spring 2023 2 Society Matters Message from the Provincial Superior Dear Friends, Welcome to the Spring edition of Society Matters for 2023. This month we are delighted to shine a spotlight on a variety of SVD mission activities in various parts of the world to share with you. Among them is our cover story on a youth animation project in Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world. Living in a subsistence economy, many parents prioritise work in the fields over schooling for their children. The Divine Word Missionaries in Chad are supporting young people in a variety of ways to give them hope for a brighter future. Also, in this edition you’ll read about Br Willy Vincent Iopam SVD and his missionary journey from his home country of Vanuatu to his formation and ministry in Australia, and now his ministry with the Mangyan people, the Indigenous People of Mindoro in the Philippines. I was able to visit Vincent recently and see for myself the wonderful work that he and his SVD confreres and local collaborators are doing, and I came away very impressed by what I saw. And in Thailand, part of our own Australia Province, Fr Truong Le SVD is supporting his local villagers by bringing in laying chickens to provide a local and sustainable source of protein. These kinds of practical support, which help people to build a better life, are mission in action, reaching out in the love of Christ to meet the needs of those around us. This edition also pays tribute to Fr Anton Bulla SVD, who returned to God recently, aged 88, after a long and full missionary life in Poland, PNG and Australia. And we also provide a big thank you to you, are partners in mission, for all the support you’ve given to SVD projects over the last financial year. I hope you will be able to take a few moments in your day to enjoy this edition of Society Matters. Yours in the Word, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD Provincial Superior Cover Story: The SVD in Chad are supporting young people in a variety of ways, including helping them learn to read, develop leadership skills and provide school supplies and fees. Read more on Pages 4 and 5. Appeal Office: 199 Epping Road, Marsfield NSW Locked Bag 3, Epping NSW 1710 Australia Telephone: +61 2 9868 2666 Victoria: 100 Albion Road, Box Hill, Vic 3128 Tel: +61 3 9890 0065 Queensland: 96 Lilac Street Inala QLD 4077 Tel: +61 7 3372 5658 New Zealand: 41 Britannia Street, Petone, 5046 Tel: +64 4 971 7885 Published by Divine Word Missionaries Incorporated, ABN 51 885 667 646
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