Vocation

Through the sacrament of Baptism, each person receives a call or vocation. All are called to holiness and to serve. This can be lived out in variety of ways - as a married or a single person, or as a priest, brother or sister.

There are more than 6100 men in almost 70 countries around the world who responded to God's call by joining the Society of the Divine Word and becoming missionaries in the most demanding ministries of the Church. As the Prologue to the SVD Constitutions states, "God's loving grace has gathered us from various peoples and continents into a religious missionary community dedicated to the Divine Word and named after him the Society of the Divine Word."

As religious brothers and priests, we consider it our duty to proclaim the Word of God to all, to bring new communities into being within the people of God. "We work first and foremost where the Gospel has not been preached at all or only insufficiently and where the local Church is not viable on its own. " (SVD Constitutions 102)

God speaks to us in God's own manner, usually using ordinary things of life to extend thoughts and to awaken dreams and hopes. What is your dream for your life and for your place in God's world?

Have you responded to God's call?
Are you open to a change in your life?
Are you open to a challenge?
What is your mission"?

As Divine Word Missionaries we believe that "God's Mission in our Mission ." Would you like to be part of this mission?

Contact the Vocation Director

A Vocation Story

Ioane Racumu - A Fijian seminarian at Dorish Maru College Melbourne .

My Journey of Life - a Call to Mission

I remember running all the way home one day after school, when I was in year 3, to tell my parents that I have joined the Red Cross group at school. "That's very good son, you'll make a good doctor" my father was pleased. The next day I ran all the way home again to tell them I had gained the highest mark in a religion test. "Oh my son, you'll make a good village catechist" my mother echoed. It was like that for some weeks, with every exciting news I brought home, I was encouraged to become a good teacher, policeman and even a lawyer. Those were the moments that built the platform of how my journey evolved. I became aware of the things I could do and I tried my best to pursue it.

Years later when I was in year 12, I joined the parish youth group. The Catholic youth groups in Fiji give the youth members opportunities to run and organize the youth programs themselves with the help of the parish priest. This was where I began my journey of living a life for others. I spent eight years as a volunteer with the catholic youth council in Fiji . I was involved in retreats, seminars, rallies and other youth gatherings. The highlight were the times when we built houses for homeless families, fundraise for youths who needed school fees, and visits to people who live alone. I felt that I had the advantage of desire, time and education to be a helper and was strengthened in faith that I could do it.

I also needed a job to support myself so in 1995 I joined the Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority. I was a tax officer on weekdays and a catholic youth worker on weekends. When I became a tax prosecutor for our small district, I felt something wasn't right somewhere. I was prosecuting the same people, the farmers, whom the Youth Group have helped built houses, and fundraised for. I would go out of my way to help these people. Something was not right in the system. I had to choose one side where I could help. My heart chose the people whom I was suppose to serve the summons to.

I joined the Society of the Divine Word in January 2001. This is my fourth year in vows. I am journeying for the priesthood. My life experience so far has fueled my childhood desire to do better what I could do. Over the years I have grown to see the strength and felt the grace of living out the charism of the Society, to be a friend to the poor and marginalized.

I was drawn also to the Society for its embracing of the different cultures that the peoples of the world have to offer. Over the years I've lived, worked and studied with brothers from a number of cultures. In December 2005, I was sent to Nong Bua Lam Phu, Northern Thailand , to help out in the local high school where one of our SVD brother is currently volunteering teaching English. The humbleness, respect and kindness of the teachers and students moved me. I shared my story and they shared theirs. I taught them how to say 'bula' and they taught me how to say 'svadikarp'. On Christmas day when I was just feeling a little homesick, the students put on a spectacular Christmas Show with plays from the Nativity Story to singing carols like Jingle Bells. I was deeply humbled by this, knowing that the school is 99.9% Buddhist. In his opening speech the school director said "Only when we understand and appreciate other cultures and traditions, it is then that we really become Thai. " I took those words to heart reflecting that only when I appreciate and own what I can contribute as a Divine Word Missionary, only then that I become the person that I am.

The growth to live more like Christ gives me a sense of direction and meaning as I look towards my future, a future as an SVD helping people to see meaning and worth in their different life situations.