Fr Anton Bulla SVD has been remembered as a faith-filled and joy-filled person, a committed priest and missionary, both during his years in Papua New Guinea and later in his ministry of healing through the marriage tribunal in Sydney.

Fr Anton died at Marsfield on July 11, just shy of his 89^th birthday. His requiem Mass was held in the St Arnold Janssen Chapel and was attended by confreres, friends and fellow members of the canon law community of which he had been an active member. Members of his family overseas were able to watch by video.

Fr Jim Knight SVD has been remembered as a much-loved family-member and a wise and dedicated missionary priest, committed to those on the margins, especially to the people with whom he ministered in Papua New Guinea and Central Australia.

Fr Jim’s Funeral Mass was held earlier this month at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield, following his death in Sydney on November 24.

Fr Erwin Schmutz SVD was remembered for his very full life of service - as priest, missionary, medic and botanist – at his funeral Mass in the St Arnold Janssen Chapel, following his death in Sydney earlier this month.

Fr Erwin was born in Ingolstadt, on the River Donau in Bavaria, Germany, and spent 30 years as a missionary in Indonesia, then some years as a German Airforce chaplain, before arriving in the SVD AUS Province where he was chaplain to Adelaide’s German community for many years.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought enormous challenges to people around the world and one of the greatest hardships for many has been to experience the death of a loved one in another country but not be able to return home for the funeral or to be with family.

Closed borders have meant that many bereaved people, including SVD missionaries, have had to mourn their loss from thousands of kilometres away, drawing on technology to spend time with grieving family members and on faith to see them through.

Prison ministry is a core part of the mission of the Divine Word Missionaries in the Central Australian district, and while this ministry can take many forms, it is essentially about simply being present to people in prison, human to human, bringing the love of Christ.

Province Mission Secretary Fr Truc Quoc Phan SVD, was recently in Alice Springs when he was asked to officiate at a liturgy inside the local prison for a man who had recently died in his community 280km away, but whose family members in jail had not been able to attend his funeral.