Fr Thuy Xuan Pham SVD celebrated nearly a quarter of a century in vows recently by taking a few months out and heading to Italy for a Renewal Course in which he says he sought to deepen his relationship with God, with the SVD, and with other people. 

Fr Thuy, pictured right, was born and raised in Vietnam, but came to Australia to complete his formation as a Divine Word Missionary and took his vows in 1995 and was ordained here before being assigned to the AUS Province.

During his missionary life he has worked in Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland and he is currently living in Marsfield.

He undertook the Renewal Course at the SVD Retreat Centre at Nemi, in the hills outside of Rome, situated just across the lake from the Papal residence at Castel Gandolfo.

“I wanted to renew my relationship with God and with the SVD, and with other people,” he says.

“The course was partly about how to have a good relationship with God through prayer, and how to know more of God and to let God know me too. So it was having time with God.”

Fr Thuy says the course contained both input from leaders, others and time for quiet reflection and sharing with the other confreres who came from all around the world.

One of the leaders was former AUS Provincial, Fr Tim Norton SVD.

“Every week or two we would have a recollection day and time in silence,” Fr Thuy says.

There was also opportunity to tap into the heritage of the Divine Word Missionaries, learning, touching more about the founding generation and their lives and work.

“Also important was the sharing of our stories with one another about our missionary lives,” he says.

“People came from countries all over the world, so there was a wide range of experience.”

Fr Thuy says the atmosphere of retreat and recollection was helped by the beautiful surrounds of the Nemi centre (pictured).

“I loved being in touch with nature,” he says. “God is present there.”

Fr Thuy says the fruits of the renewal experience are ongoing and sometimes only revealed with the passing of time.

“It was a time to reflect on my life with God and to let God come close to me and to open my mind to see the blessings around me and to really see what’s going on,” he says.

“I look back on it with thanksgiving for a time to be with God, God’s people and myself too.

“You don’t come home all totally renewed, like magic, but it’s a step by step thing and now I can look back on it and reflect on it more as time goes by. It’s all God’s grace.”