When Fr Niran Veigas SVD answered his vocational call to become a missionary priest, he could not have foreseen himself ministering in Russia and now the Tiwi Islands, but the Indian-born priest is embracing the new challenge of getting to know the people and helping to make a difference in their lives.
Fr Niran was born and raised in a Catholic family in the city of Mangalore, in southwest India and says he began discerning the possibility of being a priest as a young boy.
The Divine Word Missionaries AUS Province had cause for great celebration earlier this year when five young confreres from three different countries made their Final Profession of Vows and were ordained to the Diaconate.
The young men making their commitment in Melbourne were Nicholas Duc, Marius Razafimandimby, Francois D'Assise Andrianihantana, Edward Okletey Teye, and Hai Nguyen. They are from Ghana, Madagascar and Vietnam.
Imagine if you felt God called you to explore the possibility of becoming a Divine Word Missionary, but then a global pandemic meant you had to wait more than a year to fulfill that calling?
That’s exactly what happened to Christopher (Boss) Hiranrattanajinda Bhumbodin from Thailand and Aaron Ong from Brunei, who were both poised to enter the SVD AUS Province postulancy program last year when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of international borders.
"May the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all." This statement speaks about St Arnold Janssen’s vocation and it could be a mantra prayer for Arnold throughout his religious life, writes Fr Phuong Vu SVD.
I believe this statement prayer has been embedded in all the SVD confreres’ hearts. It is comfortable to all of us, it also motivates our mission ministries, and it nurtures our spiritual life.
Born and raised on the Mekong Delta river in South Vietnam, Fr Long Nguyen SVD could have ended up a businessman, but instead he chose to become a missionary priest and he is looking forward to taking up his first assignment, in Australia.
It’s not Fr Long’s first time in Australia though. He spent a year here in 2012 as part of his training with the Divine Word Missionaries, as well as a year in Thailand, and he couldn’t wait to come back.
One of the wonderful things about our SVD AUS Province is that we are blessed to have young men from all over the world completing their formation at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne.
This constant influx of youth and energy keeps us young as a Province and their energy spills over into many aspects of our lives and ministry.
Many of the images Jesus chose in his teaching or manifests in his relationships are images of tender, loving care and intimacy.
Fr Larry Nemer SVD says he can’t remember ever not wanting to be a priest, and as he celebrates his 60th jubilee of priesthood, he says he gives thanks for a lifetime of priestly ministry doing what he loves – teaching.
Fr Larry, who now lives in retirement at the SVD Marsfield community, celebrated his jubilee this month with confreres.
This month, the SVD Australia province had three young men take their final vows. A week after that, nine young SVD temporary professed renewed their vows. And the SVD final professed are continuing with their vows in their ministries. These vows highlight our spiritual love and commitment for God during the coronavirus crisis around the world. The SVD constitution says, “By taking the public vows of consecrated chastity, evangelical poverty and apostolic obedience, we respond to his call and follow him along the way of evangelical counsel”. (Cons 201)
The power of love is making us free to worship God and exercise our mission.
The SVD AUS Province has welcomed two new postulants, who have answered Jesus’ call to “come and see”.
Aaron Ong from Brunei and Shehan Fernando from Sri Lanka have taken the step to join the Divine Word Missionaries and test their vocation to religious missionary life.