The summer holiday period saw the SVD seminarians from Dorish Maru College in Melbourne swap the classroom for a range of practical and pastoral experiences - from parish placements to work experience in jobs as diverse as farm worker, handyman and restaurant hand.

Formator of Scholastics, Fr Linh Nguyen SVD, said the summer placements aimed to give the students pastoral and workforce experience, as well as deepen their cultural understanding and English language skills.

While most of Australia prepares to hit the beach, 11 Divine Word Missionary seminarians are spreading out across Australia over Christmas and the summer period to spend time in parishes, gaining valuable pastoral experience and cultural exposure to help them in their missionary formation.

Three of the seminarians from Dorish Maru College are undertaking their summer pastoral ministry in Alice Springs and Santa Teresa, while others will go to Inala Parish in Brisbane, Macquarie Fields Parish in Sydney, and Preston and Noble Park Parishes in Melbourne.