The official visitators to the SVD Australia Province have given positive and constructive feedback on the ministries being undertaken across the Province, while also encouraging confreres to continually return to their foundation of Trinitarian spirituality.

Fr Jose Antunes da Silva SVD, who is Vice Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word and was previously the provincial superior of Portugal was one of the visitators appointed by the General Council. He was joined by Fr Yosef Masan Toron SVD, who is currently serving as the General Chairperson of the Indonesian Biblical Institute.

Last month, I received a letter from Superior General, Father Budi Kleden SVD, reappointing me as AUS Provincial for another term from January 1, 2023 to – December  31, 2025.

I was lost for words and humbled to be reappointed again knowing that I don’t really deserve such a position with responsibilities that never end! My request to you is please pray for me as I pray for you.

Fr Asaeli Raass SVD, who will succeed Fr Henry Adler SVD as Provincial of the AUS Province in January, has been fortified for the job ahead after taking part in a strengthening ceremony performed by his family and other members of the Fijian community.

Fr Raass, says members of his family travelled to Sydney from Fiji for the first time to prepare him for his leadership role.

The SVD Generalate in Rome has announced that Fr Asaeli Raass SVD has been elected as Provincial of the AUS Province and will take up his role in January 2020.

The current Provincial, Fr Henry Adler SVD says the news of Fr Raass’ election by his province confreres arrived from Rome this week. Fr Raass is currently Vice-Provincial and is the Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Alice Springs.

With my time as Provincial drawing to a close at the end of this year, and still plenty of things to cross off the ‘to-do’ list, there hasn’t been much time for reflection on these past six years.

But as I write this column, it is a chance to take a few moments and consider what God has done in our Province and to give thanks for blessings received.

Final preparations are underway for the 2018 Provincial Assembly and Chapter for the SVD AUS Province, to be held in Sydney next month.

The Assembly will begin on February 19 and the Chapter will start on February 21 and both events will help set the missionary priorities of the Province for the coming years.

The SVD seminarians studying at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne spent an evening with the Provincial recently, getting to know one another better, asking questions and learning about the priorities of the AUS Province.

Student, Clement Baffoe, from Ghana, says the Provincial, Fr Henry Adler, shared insights on the specialised ministries of the Province and challenged the seminarians to deepen their commitment to the Divine Word which is at the heart of the Society.

Fr Henry Adler SVD has been re-elected as ProvinciaI-Superior of the Divine Word Missionaries AUS Province for a second three-year term.

Fr Henry was re-elected Provincial by his confreres for a second three-year term and the election was approved recently by the SVD Generalate in Rome.