Final preparations are underway for the 2018 Provincial Assembly and Chapter for the SVD AUS Province, to be held in Sydney next month. 

The Assembly will begin on February 19 and the Chapter will start on February 21 and both events will help set the missionary priorities of the Province for the coming years.

Members of the Provincial Council met in Marsfield last week, along with the coordinators of the preparation for the Local, Provincial and General Chapters (pictured, right).

Provincial, Fr Henry Adler SVD, says the Local Chapters and Assemblies were all completed last year and they have provided their reports and recommendations for the Provincial Chapter.

“The spirit of this is really to renew and bring life back, to reflect on things now and into the future at a local level,” Fr Henry says.

“The fruits of the Local Chapters give us a picture of who we are now on the local level, because we believe that real mission work happens at the local level. So the Local Chapters are a very important part of the process.”

Fr Henry says that he, the Provincial Council and the staff are now putting all of that information together.

“We’re processing the reports, recommendations and proposals so that when we gather for the Assembly and Chapter we can truly get the best out of it,” he says.

“The theme of this Chapter is the Renewal of our Mission, our Communities, and Ourselves.

“We hope the conversation will bring new life and that it will also be a celebration, because we are planning for renewal as a Province, but also it is important that we celebrate as a Province what is happening now and what might come in the future.

“Let us pray to our Saints Arnold Janssen and Joseph Freinademetz for the success of this important event in the life of our Province and the local churches we serve.”

The Provincial Assembly and Chapter precede the SVD’s 18th General Chapter, to be held in Rome in December.