The arrival of the Divine Word Missionaries at the Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd in Townsville, Queensland marked a significant change for the community, but now, three years down the road, parishioners have not only embraced the SVD’s missionary outlook but shared their own strong faith as well.

The SVD was invited to the Townsville Diocese by Bishop Timothy Harris to undertake parish ministry both in the suburbs of the city and also with the First Nations peoples of Palm Island.

The journey to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is not easy, but the Catholic Church remains hopeful of healing. That is the message from Chair of the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Bishop Charles Gauci, as Australians mark National Reconciliation Week.

We Divine Word Missionaries share that hope for healing, and in fact, it is the bedrock of all that we do in our ministry with First Nations peoples in Australia.

A recent visit to Papua New Guinea to give presentations to seminarians on ‘ecological conscience’ and social media, was an energising experience for Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD.

Fr Anthony is a Divine Word Missionary of the Australia Province, based in Bangkok and is Executive Director of the Asian Research Centre for Religion and Social Communication.

Fr Alejandro (Alex) de la Sotta SVD has been warmly welcomed as Parish Priest of St Bernadette’s Parish in the vibrant heart of Auckland, New Zealand, and is enjoying not only the diverse, multicultural community, but also the opportunity to get involved in the local Laudato Si’ Farm.

“My arrival at St Bernadette's Parish was a welcoming process more than a formal installation ceremony with the bishop,” he said. “Coming from the East Coast Parish, I was received with open arms by this vibrant community.

Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, parish priest in Alice Springs, will have a good understanding of the Instrumentum Laboris, or working document, of the upcoming SVD General Chapter when he arrives in Rome next month, having been part of the international commission which prepared it.

Fr Prakash was selected to be a member of the 2^nd International Preparatory Commission which met in Rome in April.

As we celebrate the joyous occasion of Easter, I extend my heartfelt greetings to each one of you, said SVD Superior-General Fr Budi Kleden SVD.

The Resurrection of the Lord is the cornerstone of our faith and resonates with the profound message of God's boundless love and the promise of new life.

A pastoral visitation to Thailand and Myanmar highlighted once again the inspirational work being done by SVD missionaries in those places, said Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD.

Both Thailand and Myanmar are part of the SVD Australia Province and both districts are experiencing their own joys and challenges in mission.

SVD members who have been ordained or ministering in Australia for fewer than five years gathered in Townsville recently for a week of ongoing formation and fellowship.

The confreres, who come from all around the world, and are assigned to various parts of the country, gathered over the first week of April and said they returned to their respective parishes happy, refreshed and re-energised.

Fr Kevin Cantwell SVD, who recently celebrated 65 years as a priest, says his vocation came to him as a bolt out of the blue, and once received, it never wavered, giving him a lifelong sense of certainty which he believes “must have been a matter of grace”.

“My vocation was solid from the moment I received it. It came to me one morning in just a minute or two. I didn’t think about it or weigh up the pros and cons or anything like that. I had no hesitation about it,” he said.

“You are part of our Tiwi people; you are part of our Tiwi family.” These were the words spoken by one of the Traditional Owners of the Tiwi Islands earlier this month during the official installation of Fr Niran Veigas SVD as parish priest on Bathurst Island.

Fr Niran was installed at Our Lady of Peace and St Therese - Wurrumiyanga, Tiwi Islands by Darwin Bishop Charles Gauci in an emotionally moving and culturally rich Mass almost two years after the Divine Word Missionaries arrived in the Tiwis.