The Overseas/Cross-cultural  Training Program has developed in the SVD over the past several decades and has, by and large, provided participants with an enriching intercultural experience. The program has become an important element of missionary formation. 

I am working in a parish called Good Shepherd in a small mining town called Phalaborwa in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The parish is an African potpourri with locals and mine workers from all over the African continent trying to earn a living with the three mines situated beside the town. The surrounding villages consist of the Sepedi and Shangan speaking people, two of the 14 officially recognised languages of the country. Mozambique is about 80km to the east, and the Zimbabwe and Botswana borders about 150km to the north, thus this place is also a stopover for  travellers.

About 250 people gathered recently in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand, for a joyous celebration with Br Damien Lunders SVD as he marked his Golden Jubilee of taking vows as a Divine Word Missionary.

SVD Australian Provincial, Fr Tim Norton, and Fr Jim Knight were also among those who celebrated the milestone with Br Damien.

Bishop Joseph of the Udon Thani Diocese presided at Mass and also blessed the new SVD house.

Five years ago, during the time of discernment for the first assignment, Fr Tim Norton asked me whether I was willing to name Thailand as one of my choices. He insisted that I was needed there. I was not prepared for that at the time. It was venturing into unknown territory. However I took on the challenge! Yes, I have encountered some difficulties, one of which was learning a language that, when written, looks a bit like worms. Buddhism is the highly respected national religion, making it difficult for Christianity to have any impact. I was not sure what I was expected to do.

Fr Kevin Cantwell SVD celebrates 60 years as a member of the Society of the Divine Word this year, and says his missionary zeal is as strong as ever.

Fr Kevin was born in Tully, North Queensland on October 14, 1927 and spent most of his childhood in Cairns. He was educated at St Monica’s school by the Sisters of Mercy and then at St Augustine’s, by the Marist Brothers.

In 1942 his school was evacuated from the coast because of the Japanese advances through New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and he became a boarder at Lake Barrine, situated on the Tableland behind Cairns.

A large crowd gathered at the Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield on Friday, December 14 for an evening of Christmas Carols and community sharing.

The annual Carols by Candelight was hosted by members of the Divine Word Missionary community at Marsfield and attended by their friends, supporters and members of the local community who regularly worship at the Arnold Janssen Chapel.

January is a time of thanksgiving and celebration for the Society of the Divine Word, as the worldwide community marks the feast days of two of the Society’s founding fathers, St Arnold Janssen and St Joseph Freidemantz.

St Arnold’s feast day is celebrated on January 15, while St Joseph’s is on January 28.

Christmas is the perfect time to thank all the friends, supporters and benefactors of The Divine Word Missionaries who by their generosity will give the gift of love to some of the poorest and most marginalised people in the world this Christmas Day.

Fr Henry Adler SVD, Mission Secretary for the SVD Australian Province, says that the Society’s missionaries, who are present on every continent of the world, will spend Christmas with the communities they serve, helping to bring Christ’s love to people who won’t enjoy a big celebration with lots of presents and all the trimmings.

The generosity of donors has enabled the Mission Office of the SVD Australian Province to send much-needed funds to help the people of the Philippines who lost their houses, livelihoods and stock in Typhoon Bopha, which wreaked havoc in December.

Mission Secretary Fr Henry Adler SVD says that the Australian Mission Office has responded to two requests for help from the Divine Word Missionaries in the Philippines.

Leading international missiologist, Fr Stephen Bevans SVD, will visit Australia this month to deliver a keynote address at the “Mission: one heart, many voices” conference in Sydney.

Fr Stephen is the Louis J. Luzbetak, SVD, Professor Mission and Culture at Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union and is a renowned teacher and author on Mission. As an SVD missionary he served for nine years (1972-1981) in the Philippines.