The SVD formation house, Dorish Maru College (DMC) in Melbourne, is a ‘full house’ as students begin to return for the start of the academic year and new staff arrive to take up their assignments.
Rector of DMC, Fr Michael Knight SVD, says that when everyone returns from their summer home leave and retreats there will be 21 people in the house, from all over the world, including four new missionary students.
DMC is living up to its multicultural name with priests in residence coming from Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, India, and Papua New Guinea.
When it comes to students, they hail from Vietnam, Ghana, Mexico, Indonesia, Madagascar, China and Laos.
“Four of the students have been on home leave in Vietnam and Ghana, while another two of the students have been doing a 30 day retreat at Douglas Park (in NSW) in preparation for their final vows and ordination to the diaconate in March,” says Fr Mike.
“Another five of the students have been doing their Clinical Pastoral Education program in hospitals here in Melbourne.”
The CPE involves students gaining ministry experience in hospitals and undergoing critical evaluation of their experience by writing reflections and sharing their experience with a mentor.
Meanwhile, Fr Linh Nguyen SVD has taken on the role of Formation Director at DMC and Fr Albano Da Costa SVD has returned from higher studies in Rome and the UK to take up Missiology teaching at Yarra Theological Union (YTU) and the role of Academic Dean at DMC.
Fr Linh was formerly parish priest at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Macquarie Fields and moved to Melbourne last year to complete the Heart of Life spirituality program.
Fr Albano undertook a Missiology (mission studies) Licentiate at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and then a one year foundation course in the United Kingdom at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.
Having recently arrived at DMC, he will start the academic year by teaching a Comparative Studies of Religions unit at Yarra Theological Union, followed by Mission Theology, the Biblical Foundations of Mission in second semester.
“As Academic Dean in the Province, it will be my task to look after the academic needs of our students,” he says.
“I’m feeling a lot of energy and optimism about this new assignment, being with the students and having an overall understanding of where they are at and what they’re going through.
“I’m also looking forward to doing supply work in parishes around here as needed and getting back to being in touch with the people in parish life. That’s where I get my strength from. And then it’s wonderful to bring that pastoral experience into your academic field.”
Of the four new students to arrive at DMC in 2019, two are from Mexico, one from Vietnam, and one is a student from China taking part in the SVD Overseas Training Program.
Fr Mike says they are currently undertaking English language studies at Deakin University before the three missionary students enrol at YTU and the OTP student begins his two-year training program in the Province.
He says it will be wonderful to have a full house of young men in formation for the Divine Word Missionaries.
“Oh yes, it keeps you young, that’s for sure,” he says.
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: Newly arrived students Shouzheng Wang, Neftali Velasco Fabian, Cuong Quoc Dang and Ruben Aguirre Lopez with Fr Linh Nguyen (centre). Photo by Fr Thien Nguyen SVD.
BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Albano Da Costa SVD, new Academic Dean at Dorish Maru College.