Arnold Janssen, the founder of the SVD struggled with the idea of founding a religious congregation in a very challenging historical situation, writes Fr James Aricheera SVD, in a reflection ahead of SVD Foundation Day on September 8.
Our constitutions characterise Arnold Janssen as a man of prayer, of unshakeable trust in God– a man of deep faith. He was ever open to God’s plans, offering unconditional surrender to his will. An open-minded man of great apostolic zeal, Arnold responded to the call of the Holy Spirit and the needs of people.
Fr Truong Le SVD cares for three rural parishes in different villages of the Isan region of northeastern Thailand – All Saints Church in Ban Muang, The Epiphany Church in Ban Chad, and St Lucia in Namphong.
And while each of those communities in Khon Kaen Province are small and located in an area known as being the poorest region in the country, Fr Truong says the friendship and support from locals, both Catholics and Buddhists alike, and an enduring love for the Eucharist, form the foundations of his parish ministry.
Queensland’s five Catholic bishops visited Palm Island recently, spending time with parishioners, school students, staff and religious, while prayerfully acknowledging both the troubled history of the island for Indigenous peoples as well as the hope that is alive there today.
Parish Priest Fr Manh Le SVD said the visit was an occasion for what he has termed an “Indigenous conversion” of heart for the bishops.
Multicultural Sunday celebrations in SVD communities in Sydney and Brisbane have brought together a diverse range of groups, showcasing their cultural heritage, while celebrating the gift of unity in faith.
At the SVD’s provincial headquarters at Marsfield in Sydney, the annual Multicultural Sunday event attracted big crowds, despite the threat of inclement weather, with SVD parishes from Macquarie Fields and Ingleburn in the Wollongong Diocese joining in the festivities.
It has been a time of celebration at St Mark’s Catholic Parish in Inala, Brisbane, with Fr Bosco Son SVD being installed as parish priest and Fathers Joseph Vu SVD and Linh Nguyen SVD marking significant jubilees.
Fr Bosco was installed as parish priest this month by Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay in a Mass which also incorporated Multicultural Sunday.
One of the many things that we as Divine Word Missionaries like to do is contribute to thought, study and discussion about how mission intersects with the pressing issues facing humanity in our world today.
As part of this discussion, it is my pleasure on behalf of our Province to invite you to attend an online event we are hosting which will explore the topic of "Integral Human Development in a Fragmented World: Perspectives on Ecology and Digital Technology”, to take place on September 18.
As I walked through the heart of European cities Cologne, Brussels and Amsterdam, I saw so many gothic church buildings standing in the midst of high energy bustling crowds below. Many of these churches are no longer functioning as worshipping places but museums for tourists to admire as ‘relics’ of once-upon-a-time civilisation of Europe.
In my parish, I often meet people who remind me of those I knew during my diaconate training in Noble Park and Keysborough.
One day, I was reading my Facebook page as I always do at certain times of the day and I saw this beautiful quote, “God doesn’t say NO to our prayers. God has three answers, either he says, 'Yes, at a later time,' or 'I have a better idea'.
How did you encounter Christ? This was a common question when I was a seminarian when we were asked about our vocation story.
