As we are here, surrounded by the lush greenery of Nemi Hill, let us pause to contemplate the profound significance of this moment, said SVD Superior-General, Fr Budi Kleden SVD in his homily at the Opening Mass of the 19th General Chapter in Nemi, Italy.

Just as a cedar tree in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading, from a tiny seed grows into a majestic forest, so too does our General Chapter, a journey of awe-inspiring growth and transformation for our Society of the Divine Word.

Mary Mother of the Church Parish in Macquarie Fields on Sydney’s southern outskirts is a warm and vibrant multicultural community of faith, which aims to keep growing in mission and love.

Parish Priest, Fr Bosco Son SVD, says the parish, which is part of the Diocese of Wollongong, is both geographically and numerically large, and continues to grow and expand because of new housing developments, and it is this growth which helps make it such an active parish.

Two Divine Word Missionary students from Vietnam who are in Australia as part of the SVD’s Overseas Training Program have renewed their temporary vows and are now looking forward to continuing their studies and formation in Melbourne.

Khanh Ngoc Nguyen SVD and Thuc Van Truong SVD renewed their vows in separate ceremonies in the parishes where they were undertaking a pastoral placement.

Greetings from Nemi, Italy, where I am attending the 19^th General Chapter of the Society of the Divine Word.

With Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, I am representing the Australia Province at the General Chapter and working hard as part of the Chapter’s Steering Committee and as a small group facilitator. Fr Prakash was a part of the International Preparatory Committee which helped formulate the Instrumentum Laboris, or working document which guides the Chapter’s proceedings.

The Australia Province will soon welcome a newly ordained priest, Fr Roger Kyaw Thu SVD, as he takes up his first assignment to his homeland of Myanmar.

Roger, together with three other Divine Word Missionaries, was ordained last month by Bishop J. Terry Steib SVD, the Bishop Emeritus of Memphis Tennessee, at the Church of the Holy Family in Chicago, USA.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Today’s Gospel tells us about how Jesus calmed the storm. It began when Jesus took His disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, after teaching many people all day.

To borrow a joke from one of my favourite preachers Fr Bel San Luis, SVD, there was a young man who was praying to God. This was his prayer, “Lord, grant me the gift of patience … I want it NOW!!!” 

Today, Jesus is in fact inviting us to listen to Him and act accordingly. Thus, we will be able to do the Will of God on this earth.

This year’s readings for the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ – previously called Corpus Christi – give us a glimpse into the origins of the nature of sacrifice in the ancient religious world, when the emphasis was on the blood of ritually slaughtered animals sealing the divine / human covenant. 

The arrival of the Divine Word Missionaries at the Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd in Townsville, Queensland marked a significant change for the community, but now, three years down the road, parishioners have not only embraced the SVD’s missionary outlook but shared their own strong faith as well.

The SVD was invited to the Townsville Diocese by Bishop Timothy Harris to undertake parish ministry both in the suburbs of the city and also with the First Nations peoples of Palm Island.