Debra Vermeer

Debra Vermeer

Nuclear ban treaty is ratified ICANW 150The Divine Word Missionaries AUS Province, which is one of the 599 partner organisations to sign on to the UN Treaty to ban nuclear weapons, has joined Australia’s bishops in urging the federal government to sign onto the treaty, which came into force last week.

The majority of United Nations member states, including the Holy See, have signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Australia, however, has not yet become a signatory.

Published in News & Events

Luis Robles OTP 150Ecuadorian SVD student Luis Robles has concluded his Overseas Training Program (OTP) in Australia, saying his time here was “a journey full of unexpected surprises and priceless experiences”.

Luis arrived in Australia on March 17, 2019, and apart from learning English, he also spent time in SVD communities in Sydney, Melbourne and Central Australia.

Published in News & Events
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 11:56

Giving thanks for the lives of SVD saints

St Arnold Janssen 150Divine Word Missionary communities throughout the AUS Province and the world have had much to celebrate in January, with the commemoration of two SVD saints – St Arnold Janssen and St Joseph Freinademetz.

St Arnold’s feast day was on January 15, the date of his death in 1909 in Steyl, Holland. He was the founder of the Divine Word Missionaries, as well as two orders of Religious Women, the Servant Sisters of the Holy Spirit and the Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration.

Published in News & Events

Fr Asaeli Raass profile pic 150Happy New Year! I trust that as you receive this edition of In the Word, you are feeling rested and refreshed after a break over the Summer period.

As 2021 begins to unfold, it’s hard not to wonder what is in store for us after all the turmoil of 2020. And yet, our faith tells us it is better to take each day as it comes than to worry about the future.

Published in News & Events
Tuesday, 22 December 2020 19:41

"I feel so blessed to be part of your lives"

Fr Joseph Reddy farewell MFields 150Fr Joseph Reddy SVD has bid a fond farewell to parishioners at Mary, Mother of the Church parish in Macquarie Fields as he prepares to take up a new assignment in the Townsville Diocese.

Fr Joseph has been Assistant Priest at Macquarie Fields since April 2017 and says his time there taught him a lot.

Published in News & Events

Giving love Christmas shutterstock 150As we are coming closer to celebrate the birthday of Jesus we may have many past fond memories of Christmas in our lives. As we know it is a time of remembering friends and celebrating the season with gifts and good food. I wish to share with you one of the many occasions in my missionary life where I experienced extra joy at Christmas.

It was when I celebrated Christmas with prisoners for the first time. It was in 2006. After visiting the prisoners for more than 10 years I thought I should do something special for Christmas for the locked up friends of mine.

Published in News & Events

Lay Partners international zoom meeting Dec 2020 150The SVD Lay Partners group at Marsfield recently took part in an international meeting of Lay Partners via Zoom, where they continued to deepen their formation and grow in understanding of their mission in the Arnoldus Family.

AUS Province Mission Secretary, Fr Viet Nguyen SVD says the meeting, hosted by the SVD Generalate in Rome included Lay Partners from SVD provinces in Asia and the Pacific.

Published in News & Events

Fr Thien Nguyen PhD 150A doctoral thesis by Fr Thien Nguyen SVD, which researched conversion from Christianity to Buddhism in Australia, found that such conversion was a complex and long process based more on dissatisfaction with the person’s Christian tradition rather than proselytisation.

Fr Thien, who graduated from Monash University with his PhD this month, says he hopes his research will help Church leaders to change their pastoral approach in caring for the faithful and encourage all believers to engage in dialogue across faiths.

Published in News & Events
Tuesday, 22 December 2020 16:55

Come, let us adore Him

Fr Asaeli Raass profile pic 150As I write this message, Sydney has been placed into another ‘COVID lockdown’. The timing, just days out from Christmas has been a blow for many as interstate family Christmas celebrations have to be cancelled and many people face the prospect of celebrating alone.

Despite these challenges, it is my humble prayer that the celebration of Christmas lifts our hearts above present trials and difficulties as we recall the angelic proclamation: “To you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord.”

Published in News & Events

Thailand Aids program 2020 150The AIDS Education Program run by the SVD’s Mother of Perpetual Help Centre in Thailand has expanded to include not only school students and teachers, but now parents and care-takers as well.

The program, based in Nong Bua Lamphu, in northeast Thailand, started 18 years ago with youth in schools and later included the training of teachers and other interested government personnel with the aim of giving AIDS awareness education to villagers and groups.

Published in News & Events
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

In the spirit of reconciliation, the Society of the Divine Word, Australia Province, acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, sky, and community.

We acknowledge their skin-groups, story-lines, traditions, religiosity and living cultures.

We pay respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all indigenous peoples of New Zealand, Thailand, and Myanmar.

We are committed to building with them, a brighter future together.