The Divine Word Missionaries Australia Province has extended its commitment to being present in New Zealand and is ready to respond to any requests by bishops to provide more confreres as needed.
Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, undertook a Provincial Visitation to New Zealand earlier this month, and said he was “very impressed” by the ministry of the four confreres who are currently assigned there.
Fr Marlon Maylon SVD is Parish Priest at the Parish of the Holy Spirit in Wellington Archdiocese, with Fr John Quang SVD Assistant Priest. In Auckland Archdiocese, Fr Alejandro (Alex) de la Sotta Dominguez SVD is Chaplain to the Spanish-speaking Catholic community. And Fr Bernard Espiritu SVD is Director of MissioNZ, the local arm of the Vatican’s Pontifical Mission Society.
“They are all doing very well,” Fr Rass says.
“I was looking forward to going there as part of my work in Provincial Visitations, to support them in their ministries and let them know we have not forgotten them – they are very much part of our Australia Province.
“And I found that their ministries were going well and the local ordinaries (bishops) were very happy with the presence of the SVD in their dioceses and, in some cases, hoping to extend our presence.”
The SVD has been present in New Zealand since the mid-1980s when it was invited by Bishop Denis Browne to work among disadvantaged youth in the Diocese of Auckland and Cardinal Tom Williams of Wellington asked if the SVD could also come to the Archdiocese of Wellington, to work with the Polynesian people who had migrated to New Zealand after the Second World War and to assist in youth ministry.
During his recent NZ visit, Fr Rass spent time with each of the four confreres and also came together with them in a District Meeting.
“They are all engaged in ministries that are very much part of SVD life – ethnic chaplaincy, multi-cultural parish pastoral ministry, and the work of the Pontifical Mission Society, which is to promote mission both locally and in a universal sense, helping to raise funds to support missionary activity around the world,” he says.
“The Parish of the Holy Spirit actually covers four churches in the Lower Hutt region and our priests there are supporting the Archdiocese of Wellington in its vision for promoting lay pastoral leaders, and helping support all the baptised to take up leadership at the local level, as well as looking at the area of stewardship and responsible care for the environment.”
Fr Rass says that during his visit he was able to meet with the local bishops and listen to their vision for their dioceses and for SVD involvement. They were Auckland Archbishop Stephen Lowe, Wellington Archbishop, Cardinal John Dew and Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington, Paul Martin SM.
“As a result, we are further committing our presence in New Zealand, in Wellington especially, to provide more resources as requested by the bishops,” he says.
“We want to be there long-term, contributing to the mission and vision of Wellington and Auckland Archdioceses, helping to create missionary parishes and exploring what that means for the local Church.”
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD spends time with Fr Alejandro de la Sotta SVD and members of Auckland's Spanish Catholic community during his visit to New Zealand.
BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Marlon Maylon SVD watches on as Fr John Quang SVD blows out his birthday candles. Both priests are ministering at the Parish of the Holy Spirit in Petone, Wellington Diocese.