Volume 35 No. 3 | Spring 2025 2 Society Matters Message from the Provincial Superior Dear Friends, Welcome to the Spring Edition of Society Matters! As Spring arrives, so too does the official celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the founding by St Arnold Janssen of the Society of the Divine Word. St Arnold founded his missionary society on September 8, 1875. Driven by prayer and a desire that all people should have the opportunity to know the Good News of Jesus Christ, he overcame much opposition to begin fulfilling his dream. From those humble beginnings, the SVD has flourished and grown to be the biggest male missionary order in the world, with nearly 6000 missionaries, from 76 nationalities, serving in 79 countries. The SVD AUS Province will mark the 150th Anniversary of the Founding of the Society of the Divine Word in September with a special Jubilee Mass, a Provincial Assembly in Melbourne, followed by participation in an ecumenical mission conference. ‘Witnessing to the Light: From Everywhere for Everyone’ is the theme of our Jubilee Year and in this edition of Society Matters you will read a wonderful testimony to mission in the story of Fr Kasmir Nema SVD. Kasmir completed his missionary formation in Australia some years ago and since then has served in Timor-Leste, as well as undertaking various higher studies in different places in the field of social communications. Today, he is the Communications Coordinator for the SVD Generalate in Rome and is passionate about living out St Arnold’s desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in our world. In a recent webinar on this topic, hosted by the SVD AUS Province, Fr Kasmir said: “Communication is Mission”. In sharing our mission stories, such as those we share in Society Matters, we seek to provide an encounter with the love of Jesus. I hope you enjoy reading his story, beginning on page 4. One of the other defining characteristics of the SVD is our lived commitment to interculturality. On Page 6 you’ll see all the colour and vibrancy of our annual Multicultural Day at the Marsfield community in Sydney, showing that in all our cultural diversity we are one in the Body of the Christ. And finally, to mark the Jubilee, the SVD Superior-General, Fr Anselmo Ricardo Ribeiro SVD, has written a letter to you! It is a letter of thanks for your ongoing support of the Society of the Divine Word as our Partners in Mission. (See opposite page). We too wish to thank all our Partners in Mission. Over the last year alone, your financial and prayerful support has seen our Province support people living in need in India, Madagascar, Zambia, Chad, Ghana, Timor-Leste and Zimbabwe. You can read the details of the funds distributed and the programs they supported on Page 8. May God bless you and your family, as we too, send you our deep thanks. Yours in the Word, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD Provincial Superior Cover Story: The Multicultural Sunday event at the SVD’s Marsfield Community in Sydney was a vibrant display of faith, culture and community. It also incorporated celebrations for the 150th Anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word. See more on Pages 6-7. 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
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