The danger in talking about migrants and refugees is that we always talk about statistics, rather than focusing on the real people, with real faces and real names who lie behind the statistics – people who are all made in the image of God, says Fr vanThanh Nguyen SVD, a visiting Scripture scholar.

Fr vanThanh is Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union. He was in Australia recently to teach a course for The Broken Bay Institute entitled ‘Strangers, Migrants and Refugees in the Bible’, as well as give a series of talks and retreats around the country.

The Divine Word Missionaries will say a fond farewell to St Cecilia’s Parish, Hamilton in Brisbane in early August, after almost 20 years of pastoring to a community that is renowned for its warmth and for the long-term commitment of its members to parish life.

That commitment can be seen in 99-year-old Gwendoline Gleeson who operates the overhead projector at weekend masses, along with her sister Viv, aged 90, who is the organist, as well as many other parishioners who have been involved with various ministries for decades.

When Ron and Maria Natoli of Sydney, first visited Cebu in the Philippines 12 years ago and saw the city’s poorest people living on the rubbish tip, they knew they had to help.

Now, when they visit they see lives that have changed for the better, and according to Ron, it all comes down to building great partnerships.

Imagine studying for the priesthood at a seminary where there are no Bible commentaries or online homily resources in your own language.

For the students at St John Mary Vianney Major Seminary in Laos this is the situation they face. Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD recently visited Laos to lend a hand.

For Indonesia’s Laurensius Woda, being a part of the Divine Word Missionaries’ Overseas Training Program in New Zealand and Australia has helped him find the real meaning of being a religious missionary.

The Overseas/Cross-Cultural Training Program (OTP) gives missionary students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new language, experience a new culture and engage in supervised ministry.

The SVD Postulants of the Australia Province have been visiting SVD parishes and sharing their personal stories as part of special Vocations Weekends.

Postulant Steve Desveaux says it was a great experience to meet people in SVD parishes and share some of his own vocation journey with them.

Australian-born Archbishop Douglas Young SVD, the Archbishop of Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea has spoken out strongly against the death penalty being introduced as punishment for crimes.

Archbishop Young has told the Fides Catholic News Agency that he condemns the pro-capital punishment campaign being carried out in the country.

Every morning, as the bright sun rises over Central Australia and the desert country slowly comes to life, a small group of Religious, from a variety of congregations, begin their day by gathering together to praise God.

Leadership in Mission must be prophetic, attentive to the Spirit, and should always be based on Jesus’ model of servant leadership, the Mission: One Heart Many Voices conference heard.

Two day workshop on Leadership and Intercultural Living for SVDs under 50 years of age followed the National Mission Conference “One Heart Many Voices” in Sydney in the first week of May 2013.  

In his opening address the AUS provincial Fr. Tim Norton emphasised the importance of developing leadership skills in the light of the upcoming elections for a new AUS provincial and a new provincial council.