For SVD student Antonius Kristanto ‘Krisna’ Papalesa, from Indonesia, the daily activities of life in Dorish Maru College, Melbourne, are immersing him in the local culture and preparing him for a life of mission.

Krisna was born in 1995 and spent most of his life in Jakarta with his parents, three brothers and four sisters.

On Palm Sunday this year, I was privileged to have been part of a walk for justice and freedom for refugees, writes Fr Clement Baffoe SVD. The event was organised by Amnesty International-Townsville in collaboration with the Townsville Multicultural Support Group(TMSG) and a number of people from different faith backgrounds.

I then used my talk to appeal to all to open their hearts and doors especially the doors of our country to refugees. Opening our hearts and doors means we are giving people hope and the chance to live a dignified life. May we all stand up for the justice and freedom of refugees, especially those who remain in limbo at detention centres.

As my 20^th anniversary to priesthood is approaching this year, I am tempted to look back and see for myself what I have achieved, or not achieved, and what are my hopes and dreams for my future, writes Fr John Quang SVD.

During those 20 years, I have been through a number of ministries: parish, formation, social communications, with migrant workers, provincial counsellor. Through my various ministries, I’ve found that I spend lot of time worrying about formulating vision/mission statements. These are important as far as they help us to have a purpose and show us how to gear ourselves towards that achievement. They are a means, not an end in themselves. No one dies for a statement. But people are willing to live and die for their conviction.

The people of Holy Family Parish came together in Ingleburn recently to welcome their new parish priest, Fr Henry Adler SVD.

Holy Family Parish is a big, vibrant, multicultural parish on Sydney’s south-western outskirts, comprised of the two communities of Ingleburn and Minto.

Fr Hung Nguyen SVD has returned to the Australia Province where he undertook the Overseas Training Program some years ago, to complete English language studies before beginning his pastoral ministry.

Fr Hung’s arrival in Australia for his first missionary assignment since taking his final vows and being ordained a priest in Vietnam, was delayed by two years, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.

The Divine Word Missionaries have accepted an invitation from Darwin Bishop Charles Gauci to take up the pastoral care of the people of the Tiwi Islands and Daly River.

The SVDS are already active in Darwin Diocese, having been present in Central Australia for the last 20 years, in Alice Springs, Santa Teresa, and in the Aboriginal Catholic Chaplaincy.

Born in East Timor and raised in Kupang, Indonesia, Agustinus ‘Gusty’ Siga Buu Araujo has arrived at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne to complete his Theological studies and formation as a Divine Word Missionary.

Gusty’s father is from Indonesia and his mother is from East Timor. When he was three years old, in 1999, the family moved from Dili to Kupang, where he grew up.

Dear Friends,

Happy Easter! Christ is risen, he is risen indeed. Alleluia.

After our last two Easters where the communal celebration of this pinnacle of our faith life was severely limited due to COVID-19, what a joy it was to gather in numbers again to welcome the Risen Lord.

Every age has its own rhythms. These rhythms are influenced by the social, scientific, economic, and technological developments that take place in human life. Since ancient times, the discovery of fire changed the way our human ancestors consumed food and spent their time in the evening after the sun went down. Before writing was invented and literacy became widespread, storytelling around a common fire was likely one of the most popular evening activities, especially among preliterate and nonliterate societies, reflects Fr Anthony Le Duc SVD.

Once the printing press was invented in the 1400s, reading was incorporated into the lives of many people who were literate and could get access to books and printed materials. This one single invention was as revolutionary to the human mind as the discovery of the fire was life changing to the human physiology. And both had tremendous impact on human culture. The rhythms of human life have continued to change and evolve over the ages with each new discovery, invention, and insight into the way the world works.

Brisbane’s vibrant and rapidly growing Vietnamese Catholic community is rejoicing as building begins on a new church and community centre that will be the heart of their worship and cultural activities, reports The Catholic Leader.

“It is wonderful – we’ve been waiting for so long, we are going to have our own place we can call home,” chair of the community’s pastoral committee Ken Huynh said.