Volume 35 No. 1 | Autumn 2025 8 Society Matters named after him, the Society of the Divine Word,” he said. “Impelled by the love of Christ (2 Cor 5:14-15), St Arnold Janssen, our Founder, dreamt of a missionary movement capable of freeing people from the darkness of sin by the light of the Word and spirit of God’s grace. “Since Christmas day almost 2000 years ago, the Word became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth to proclaim the kingdom of his Father’s love. Today we continue the same mission to bring the Good News to all nations and proclaim his father’s liberating love.” The SVD Jubilee Year will run from September 8, 2024, to the 150th anniversary of Foundation Day on September 8, 2025, and will feature a range of celebrations in the Australia Province, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar, and around the world. SVD parishes around the Province marked the opening of the 150th Jubilee Year with a similar liturgical ritual, according to their own situation and celebrations have been planned throughout the Province during the anniversary year. Four important webinars are being held, focusing on the four characteristic dimensions of the SVD – Biblical Apostolate, Communication, Mission Animation, and Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation. Society of the Divine Word celebrates 150th Jubilee Year The Divine Word Missionaries Australia Province launched the Jubilee Year for the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word in September, the first of many Sesquicentenary events to be held throughout the year. The occasion in Melbourne was a double celebration, also featuring the priestly ordination of Cuong Quoc Dang SVD, who will continue the missionary legacy when he takes up his first assignment to Angola. Bishop Tim Norton SVD presided at the Mass. He was joined by the Australian Provincial Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, other SVD priests and students, diocesan and visiting clergy. The Mass, at St Martin de Porres Parish in Melbourne’s Avondale Heights, featured the presentation of four key symbols for the Jubilee: The Word of God, representing St Arnold’s dedication of his missionary religious congregation to Jesus, the Divine Word; the Globe, highlighting the fact that SVD members come from 76 nationalities and serve in 79 countries; the 150th Anniversary Logo which represents the 150 years of journeying as witnesses to the light of the Divine Word; and the Jubilee Candle, symbolising the Light of Christ. As the Jubilee candle was presented to Fr Rass and lit, emcee Christopher Boss said: “Called by God, we are sent to witness to the Light in the wounded world.” “The lighting of this candle is to remind us of our universal call to witness to Christ, the Light of the World. And especially today, we the SVD of the Australia Province officially open the Jubilee of the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word under the theme, ‘Witnessing to the Light: From Everywhere for Everyone’.” After lighting the candle, Fr Rass led the congregation in praying the official 150th Anniversary Jubilee Prayer, before the ordination Mass continued. Later, he addressed the congregation, saying The Society of the Divine Word is the 6th largest missionary order in the Catholic Church, with members working in all continents except Antarctica. “One hundred and forty-nine years ago, on the 8th of September 1975, a ‘child’ was born in Steyl, Netherlands, during the height of European colonialism, and an antiChristian and anti-human totalitarian system in the 20th century. The ‘child’ was dedicated to the Divine Word and www.divineword.org.au A Newsletter of the Divine Word Missionaries Inc - Australia Province Donations to the SVD AUS Province Overseas Aid Fund can be made online at www.divineword.org.au or by mailing to Divine Word Missionary Appeal Office, Locked Bag 3, Epping NSW, 1710, Australia. +61 2 9868 9015 @svdaus Society Matters Globe and 150th anniversary logo are presented at the Jubilee inauguration Mass Thailand - Opening of Jubilee Year and 25th anniversary - logo procession
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