The Advent period has been a tuneful and generous one around the SVD Australia Province, with a number of SVD parishes holding Christmas Carol events for the first time since COVID, and others preparing food hampers for those in need this Christmas season.

In Santa Teresa, Central Australia, the community held their first ever Carols event and their famous Christmas lights display took place in the usual spectacular fashion, lighting up the desert sky. On top of that, the isolated Indigenous community was also blessed to receive a brand new giant nativity scene.

“Despite having a very hot day, there were about 100 people including kids who came to the Carols,” says Parish Priest, Fr Elmer Ibarra SVD.

“We had some songs and sang along with the music. We also had songs that we sung accompanied by our guitarist, teacher Mark Wisemantle, and we sang ‘Silent Night’ in Arrernte, the aboriginal language spoken in Santa Teresa. 

Fr Elmer says the new ‘iron crib’ nativity scene was donated by an Alice Springs family who were moving to Victoria and seeking to sell the crib.

When the couple heard that the parish was interested in buying it, they offered to donate it to the parish.

“It was a very generous gesture,” Fr Elmer says. “I bought some solar powered spotlights, and that's why the crib looks stunning especially at night.”

Meanwhile, in the Thailand District of the AUS Province, Christmas parties have been held at the Mother of Perpetual Help Centre and parishes have been organising hampers for those in need.

Fr Toub Anisong SVD, says the goods available to go into hampers in his parish were limited, but he and other parishioners managed to distribute hampers of fish, rice and noodles to needy families.

The parish church was also decorated in beautiful lights.

“We are called to bring the light of Christ to others,” he says.

Meanwhile, also in north-east Thailand, Fr Truong Le SVD coordinated the packing and delivering of 500 food hampers for those in need in his area.

And back in Australia, the parishioners of the Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd in Townsville, came together to provide, food, along with packing, wrapping and delivering 97 hampers in the lead-up to Christmas for distribution by St Vincent de Paul.

A number of SVD parishes held Christmas Carols around the Province, including Holy Family Catholic Parish at Ingleburn in the Wollongong Diocese, where the finale was a spectacular rendition of Silent Night sung in a number of different languages representing the multicultural make-up of the parish.

And in Marsfield, Carols returned for the first time since COVID, with various multicultural communities leading the singing and even an appearance by Santa for the kids. The Carols were followed by a shared multicultural meal.

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: Christmas carols at Santa Teresa in Central Australia.

MIDDLE LEFT: The new iron crib at Santa Teresa.

MIDDLE RIGHT: A multicultural rendition of Silent Night at Holy Family Parish, Ingleburn.

BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Truong Le SVD prepares to distribute food hampers for the needy in Thailand.

BOTTOM RIGHT: The carols made a welcome return to the Marsfield community after a break due to the COVID pandemic.