Year of Consecrated Life - meet Truong Le SVD
“I am a sinner,” said the newly appointed Pope responding to his first interview. By the same token in introducing myself to the AUS province, I will take on Pope Francis’s words and proclaim that I too, first and foremost, am a sinner.
To see me and to understand my physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological make-up, one has to look through that lens. It is inseparable to my being. It took me 27 years to actually scratch the surface of that truth. Of course, three years of vows were momentous for my understanding.
Three young SVD Missionaries ordained to the priesthood
It was a joyful occasion for the Divine Word Missionaries Australian Province when three young missionaries were ordained to the priesthood in a beautiful, multicultural celebration at St Paschal’s Chapel, Box Hill.
Trien Nguyen SVD, Prakash Menezes SVD and Bedi Asmon SVD were ordained priests on Saturday, September 13 by the Bishop of Darwin, Most Rev Eugene Hurley.
Paulo Vatunitu SVD ordained to the priesthood
Paulo Vatunitu SVD was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, October 5 in a ceremony infused with all the colour, prayerfulness and beautiful song of his homeland, Fiji.
Fr Paulo was ordained by Bishop Peter Elliott, Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, at St Paschal’s Chapel, Box Hill.
Bishop Elliott told the congregation that when he asked Paulo what a priest is, Paulo’s quiet reply was: “A servant”.
About 250 people gathered recently in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand, for a joyous celebration with Br Damien Lunders SVD as he marked his Golden Jubilee of taking vows as a Divine Word Missionary.
SVD Australian Provincial, Fr Tim Norton, and Fr Jim Knight were also among those who celebrated the milestone with Br Damien.
Bishop Joseph of the Udon Thani Diocese presided at Mass and also blessed the new SVD house.
Fr Kevin Cantwell SVD celebrates 60 years as a member of the Society of the Divine Word this year, and says his missionary zeal is as strong as ever.
Fr Kevin was born in Tully, North Queensland on October 14, 1927 and spent most of his childhood in Cairns. He was educated at St Monica’s school by the Sisters of Mercy and then at St Augustine’s, by the Marist Brothers.
In 1942 his school was evacuated from the coast because of the Japanese advances through New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and he became a boarder at Lake Barrine, situated on the Tableland behind Cairns.
