Fr Satheesh Voora SVD has arrived in Wellington, New Zealand to take up his first overseas missionary assignment, following his recent ordination in India.
He said his arrival in the Australia Province has been met with warm hospitality from both SVD confreres and the parishioners of the Te Awakairangi Parish in Lower Hutt, to which he has been assigned as assistant priest.
Three young SVD seminarians professed their final vows as Divine Word Missionaries this month and were ordained as deacons as they continue their journey towards the priesthood.
Agustinus Buu Araujo Siga, SVD (Gusty), Antonius Kristanto Papalesa, SVD (Krisna), and Anthony Khanh Ngoc Nguyen, SVD (Khanh) made their final profession at St Paschal’s Chapel, Box Hill, in Melbourne on Saturday, March 21, before being ordained to the diaconate in the same chapel the following day.
This is one of the very few occasions that we have two gospels in one Mass. And I have often said how contrasting these two are.
Today is a very meaningful Sunday for me, as I have just begun my first mission here in this parish. I am still learning your names, your stories, and the life of this community. Thank you very much for your kindness and warm welcome.
Karma is something that a lot of people ask me about, as to whether it is a Christian belief or not. Well, I would politely say that it is not. For us Christians, we believe that retribution or judgment will be happening not in this life but in the next.
The gospel for this week, which is pretty long, is about knowing who Jesus is from the efforts of the woman at the well. And as we read along the gospel, we will learn that the woman at the well slowly discovered who Jesus was - from a Jew, to a prophet and then a Saviour.
If one single word is used to describe the foundation upon which the whole Christian life is based, it is HOPE. Hope is the main theme running throughout the heart of the Bible, from Genesis down to Revelation.
Preparations are underway for celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of St John Paul II’s historic speech to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs.
Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Alice Springs said the parish is delighted to be involved with the celebration of an event which has so much meaning for both First Nations people and the broader Catholic Church.
The SVD mission in Thailand and Myanmar has been split into two Districts, a move which confreres say will help overcome challenges of distance and enhance unity, collaboration and effectiveness in ministry.
The two new Districts, which are part of the Australia Province, will be known as the Bangkok-Myanmar District and the Udon Thani District, and it is hoped the new arrangement will also provide further support for vocations and early formation for those discerning missionary life in the region.
Fr Shiju Paul SVD has arrived to take up ministry in the Australia Province after almost 30 years as a missionary in India, various parts of Africa and the United States.
Fr Shiju said he is open to working wherever he is assigned in the Province, but has a special interest in living and working with Australia’s First Nations peoples and providing presence, deep listening and accompaniment.
