7 Volume 35 No. 1 | Autumn 2025 Society Matters learn to speak other languages. “I got some information about some countries that have a rich culture, including Australia,” he says. “I chose the Australia Province to learn how the mission is carried out there. Also, this country is near to my home country of Indonesia.” Fr Daniel says while his new assignment in Daly River is in many ways very different to his missionary life in Paraguay, there are also some key similarities. “In all areas of mission, there is a need for creativity and sensitivity in raising the initiative to do things,” he says. “This is my principle that I have in my heart and mind whenever I go out for mission.” Daly River, or Nauiyu, is situated 230km south of Darwin and 250km north-west of Katherine. After arriving in Darwin, Fr Daniel learned about life in Daly River, where there are a range of different Aboriginal clans, each with their own identity. “Listening and learning are the ways to start my service in Daly,” he says. “I do my best in order to work with the people in Daly, although indeed it requires different methods of approaching things. “I’ve found that visiting people and speaking with them are the mediums to bring them back to church. I am aware that in Daly River I need more patience. For example, a lot of the people are Catholic but they do not know how to make the sign of the cross. So, we start from the beginning to do the small things of catechesis in this regard. “I’ve also learnt to visit and speak with the people whenever we encounter them, even from the road, because they feel uncomfortable if I want to visit their house. “People come to the presbytery when they need food or a rosary. When they come to the presbytery it is a golden moment to speak with them and invite them to attend Mass.” Fr Daniel says there are many challenges in Daly River, including alcohol and social issues, and inter-clan fighting among the young men and boys. “In these circumstances, I try to speak with the boys, however it remains a challenge because these problems have existed for a long time. One of the consequences of the problem is that it is really hard to get volunteers to work together on things. “It’s also hard to communicate with some leaders from other communities because in some communities they do not have mobile phone signal.” Fr Daniel’s ministry, with assistant priest Fr Rius Salu SVD, not only includes Daly River but also some of the smaller outlying communities, some of which are a four to five hour round trip away. “In the rainy season we cannot visit them because the water blocks the road,” he says. “Some of these challenges we need to face calmly and with a big heart in order to keep the mission sustainable into the future.” While Fr Daniel says he is grateful for all the experiences of his missionary life and feels blessed by his vocation, he hopes he too can be a blessing for others. “I do really hope that everything I have done in mission will be a blessing for the people, the Church, and the SVD,” he says. “May God be glorified now and forever.” Fr Daniel Polla SVD with parishioners in Daly River, NT
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ0MTI=