Fr Boni Buahendri SVD has been appointed as the new Provincial Superior of the SVD Australia Province for the next triennium, and will take up his new role in January, 2026.
Fr Boni, who is currently parish priest of St Mark’s Parish, Inala, said that while the role of Provincial has many challenges, he accepted it with humility and hope and looked forward to working together as a team with members of the Province, the communities that they serve, lay collaborators and friends.
Outgoing Provincial Fr Asaeli Rass SVD, said Fr Boni’s appointment, which follows a voting process by confreres across the Province in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar and confirmation by the SVD Generalate in Rome, “is a reflection of his dedication, his spirit of service, and the trust that his confreres and the Generalate have in his leadership”.
“Let us offer our next Provincial our prayers and unwavering support as he embarks on this significant ministry of service,” Fr Rass said.
“May the Holy Spirit inspire him, may Mary our Mother intercede on his behalf, and may the legacy of St. Arnold continue to guide Fr Boni in his new mission endeavour.
“On behalf of the current administration, I offer my warmest congratulations and fraternal blessings.”
Fr Boni was born and raised on the island of Flores in Indonesia. After being attracted to the Divine Word Missionaries by the example of his childhood parish priest, he joined the SVD after high school, making his final vows in 1997. He was ordained a priest on October 10,1998 in Flores and arrived in Sydney on July 6, 1999, having been assigned to the SVD Australia Province.
His first parish appointment was as assistant priest in Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast, followed by assignments at Macquarie Fields in Wollongong Diocese and as Formation Director at the SVD formation house, Dorish Maru College, in Melbourne. In 2019 he was appointed Parish Priest of St Marks Inala, a thriving faith community made up of people from many different cultures. Fr Boni’s ministry in the Province has also included Indonesian Chaplaincy and spiritual direction.
Fr Boni has served a total of eight years on the Provincial Council at different times, under the leadership of provincials Tim Norton, Henry Adler and Asaeli Rass, giving him broad experience over a significant period of time.
“It has given me experience in terms of leadership and governance, and insights into how the Province is growing and changing,” he said.
“The Province is expanding in terms of how we are accepted by the local Church, as well as the growth in our ministry with Indigenous communities.
“I’m hoping the Indigenous ministry becomes even more developed in the future. It is certainly one of our focuses and priorities now and yet, it also presents many challenges.
“One of the questions I’m asking is ‘How do we work collaboratively, as a team, with the Indigenous ministry in Australia?”
Fr Boni said in the years since his arrival in the Province, the Divine Word Missionaries have become a valued part of the local Church in both Australia and New Zealand, not only through Indigenous ministry but also parish ministry in multicultural communities.
“Twenty-six years ago, when I came to Australia the SVD only had one parish in the local Church, at Macquarie Fields in the Wollongong Diocese,” he said.
“Now we are accepted by the local Church in a number of dioceses where we have been invited to take up parishes, which is wonderful. And for our part, we have to ask ourselves, how do we prepare our young men in terms of culture, lifestyle, language, visa processes etc so that we can be integrated with the local Church?”
Fr Boni said missionary formation would continue to be a strong focus of the SVD Australia Province, through the presence of Dorish Maru College in Melbourne, which is currently home to 12 young missionaries in formation from a range of countries and cultures.
“Dorish Maru College is the only English-language formation house in the Asia-Pacific Zone, and so in that sense it is very important for the SVD in this part of the world,” he said.
“We still see it very much as one of our priorities in this Province to train young men to become good missionaries in the future, both in Australia and abroad.”
Fr Boni said the SVD Australia Province is vibrant and diverse, with its ministries in Thailand and Myanmar facing different circumstances and pastoral situations to those in Australia and New Zealand.
“Since my arrival in the Province I have seen the Thailand mission grow and develop, starting with just two confreres working in AIDs ministry to now having 12 missionaries working in parishes, migrant ministry, English teaching and academic work,” he said.
“And Myanmar is still a fairly new mission, with lots of challenges, but we now have a parish there and are doing great work in caring for the poor and marginalised and providing ministry in formation for the local Church.”
Overall, Fr Boni said he saw the role of Provincial as one of “listening and learning and working together”.
“I am not working alone. I am a team player,” he said. “I would like us to move forward working as a team, whether that be in the Provincial Council, with the Coordinators of the Four Characteristic Dimensions, the rectors of our houses, those in in Indigenous ministry, parish ministry, chaplaincy, formation – to work together.
“My job is to empower people and to support them because when we stand together we are united.
“I have my limitations, but I hope that whatever small gifts I have can be used as part of the team, all working together to promote the vision and mission of our Province and the life of the Gospel.”
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: Fr Boni at the opening liturgy of the 2025 Provincial Assembly in Melbourne this week.
BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Boni with parishioners of St Mark's Parish, Inala at a multicultural celebration.