Society Matters | Volume 30 No. 3 | Spring 2020

Volume 30 No. 3 | Spring 2020 2 Message from the Provincial Superior Welcome to the Spring edition of Society Matters. What a year 2020 has been so far. I think we are all ready for the new life of Spring. The coronavirus pandemic has brought changes for us all. Family members have had to adjust to seeing each other less often. Parents have had to become ‘home teachers’ as their children engage in lessons remotely. Employment and businesses have been hit hard and in some cases have disappeared. Quite apart from the terrible loss of human life and the illness brought by the pandemic, day-to-day life has changed for us all. Missionaries are no different. Our lives and our work has changed too. The essence of being missionary is to go out and be with people, sharing the love of Jesus Christ through accompaniment and shared experience. But with the churches closed and social distancing requirements in place, we have had to adapt to new ways of doing things. Our parishes have taken their Masses and other devotions online, which has helped many. But, aware that some elderly people don’t inhabit the online space, our SVD members have been mindful of making personal contact by phone or socially distanced visits when reaching out to parishioners or communities with whom we work. Across the world, the Divine Word Missionaries have also been changing and adapting so that they can still reach out to those in need. Our ministries to the poor and marginalised have not stopped and we know that people are needing us more than ever. The economic and health effects of the pandemic are hitting the poorest people hardest and the recovery will be long and challenging. The SVD has first-hand experience of this impact on communities across the globe and we’re working together to help them get back on their feet. In this edition of Society Matters, we are delighted to celebrate with you the 100th anniversary of the SVD’s arrival in Epping. As we celebrate that milestone, we give thanks for God’s blessing on our Province, which has now grown to include Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Myanmar. Our history shows us that the early missionaries had to be resilient and resourceful when they arrived in this new country, with its many challenges. Today, we are asked to be similarly resilient and resourceful as we seek new ways of bringing the love of Jesus Christ to all, making sure that no-one is left behind or forgotten as we slowly recover from the 2020 pandemic. Yours in the Word, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD Provincial Superior Cover Story: Fr Vinh Tran SVD is pictured giving out assistance for those affected by the COVID-19 situation in the village of Phuwiang, Thailand. Appeal Office: 199 Epping Road, Marsfield NSW Locked Bag 3, Epping NSW 1710 Australia Telephone: +61 2 9868 2666 Victoria: 100 Albion Road, Box Hill, Vic 3128 Tel: +61 3 9890 0065 Queensland: 96 Lilac Street Inala QLD 4077 Tel: +61 7 3372 5658 New Zealand: 41 Britannia Street, Petone, 5046 Tel: +64 4 971 7885 Published by Divine Word Missionaries Incorporated, ABN 51 885 667 646