Vietnamese and parish communities in Sydney and Brisbane have reached out with compassion, by raising funds to help those who lost young family members in a tragic bus accident while en route to an SVD youth camp in Thailand.

Last month, In the Word reported that 13 young Vietnamese people had been killed on their way to a camp to be held at the SVD parish of Nong Bua Lamphu (NBL) in northern Thailand.

Bible Sunday was celebrated in spectacular fashion at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel at Marsfield, in Sydney, with a multicultural dramatic presentation of some of the key scenes from John’s Gospel.

Entitled ‘You are the Messiah’, the script for the drama was prepared by a parishioner, Tim Lee and Fr Michael Quang Nguyen SVD, taking their inspiration from episodes in passages from John 1-4.

As I write this message, the world is in mourning for the people on board Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down by missile over Ukraine. In the wake of such violence, we pray for the gentle repose of their souls, that they may rest in peace, with God, their loving creator.

The release of Pope Francis’ Message for World Mission Day marks the countdown to this world-wide celebration, set down for October 19.

In his message, the Holy Father reminds us that: “All the members of the Church are called to participate in this mission, for the Church is missionary by her very nature: she was ‘born to go forth’.”

When Fr Ennio Mantovani SVD set out from Europe as a young missionary priest in 1962 he planned to bring the light of the Gospel to the people of Papua New Guinea. When he arrived, he found the light was already there, in the people and the culture.

Now, over 50 years later, he has launched a new book in which he says his life as a missionary has taught him that God is present among all people, everywhere, loving them as he loves each and every person.

A joyful welcome to Fr Pham Dinh Tuan SVD who was installed as the new pastor of St Michael’s Church in Nong Bua Lamphu in northern Thailand recently, was soon overshadowed by the tragic news that 13 young Vietnamese people had been killed on their way to a camp to be held in the parish.

Fr Tuan was installed as parish priest at a Mass at St Michael's, followed by the traditional tying of strings around his wrists by parishioners as a goodwill gesture. 

After living with the Divine Word Missionaries in Sydney and Melbourne as a postulant, Steve Desveaux is packing his bags to undertake the next step of his vocational journey in the United States, a situation he describes as literally a dream come true.

Steve will undertake the novitiate program in Techny, Chicago, and says he is really looking forward to the challenge.

I have just finished reading Pope Francis’ Message for the 88th World Mission Day, to be celebrated on October 19 and once again, the spirit at the heart of the Holy Father’s message is Joy.

Leaders from each of the SVD communities within the Australian Province, together with the Provincial Council, gathered in Sydney this week for a Leadership Workshop designed to identify how to put into practice the congregation’s priorities for the next six years.

At its General Chapter meeting in 2012, the SVD AUS Province identified five key priorities or congregational directions for its mission activity.

A broad-based group of religious and lay people has joined forces to form ‘Partners in Mission’, aimed at working together to support mission in both prayerful and practical ways.

A working party of interested partners met recently at the Divine Word Missionaries offices in Sydney, to formulate a mission statement for the group and plan a way forward.