The Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters have elected and installed a new Provincial and leadership team for their Australia Province.

Sr Shalini Philomina Mathew SSpS (Sr Philo), who had most recently been pastoral associate at St Mark’s Parish, Inala, has taken on the leadership role, following the completion of Sr Sarita Kurikattil’s term as Provincial.

The SVD Thai District recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Divine Word Missionaries’ presence in Thailand.

The anniversary was marked during a gathering of the confreres for their quarterly recollection, where, in a spirit of prayer they gave thanks to God for blessing the Thailand mission over the years.

The SVD AUS Province recently celebrated  as two of its students took their final vows as Divine Word Missionaries and were ordained to the Diaconate.

The two events were significant milestones on the missionary journey of Toub Anisong Chanthavong, the first person from Laos to become an SVD, and Simon Dominguez Prospero from Mexico.

Diversity is an undeniable fact about humanity. Diversity exists in gender, age, culture, religion, social and economic class, and a host of other things that make one person’s life different from that of another. Looking at how there are so many differences that exist among individuals and cultures in the world, one might conclude that there cannot be any unifying factor that connects everyone.

Although it might seem that way, in fact, all people no matter what age or ethnicity do share at least this thing in common—everyone is endowed with a conscience.

There’s nothing quite like on-the-ground experience for young missionaries in training, and the SVD Overseas Training Program aims to provide exactly that.

The Overseas Training Program (OTP) started in the AUS Province and is now seen an important part of SVD formation around the world.

The chaplaincy relationship between the Divine Word Missionaries and Melbourne’s Indonesian Catholic community recently notched up its 25th anniversary, with the links between the two having grown strongly over the decades.

Fr Frank Gerry SVD was the first Divine Word Missionary assigned as chaplain to the Indonesian community in Melbourne during his time as Rector of Dorish Maru College from 1993-1999.

Is religious life dying or is it simply changing? I pondered this question again recently as I presided at the final vows of two of our young missionaries who are giving themselves freely and joyfully to a life which, let’s face it, is slightly out of vogue.

I believe it’s changing, rather than dying, and while change is always uncomfortable and challenging, it usually leads us to new growth and, in this case, I believe, to greater authenticity.

The young people of St Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Marsden, Queensland, recently brought Pope Francis’ plea for ecological conversion to life when they hit the streets with garbage bags in hand, for Clean Up Australia Day.

“It was Laudato Si’ in action,” says Parish Priest, Fr Sunil Nagothu SVD, of the Pope’s encyclical on ‘Caring for our Common Home’.

Fr Joseph Reddy SVD was so moved by his pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Panama that he was inspired to capture his experience in poetry and we are proud to feature Fr Joseph's poem in this edition 'In the Word'.

Fr Joseph's pilgrim group from the Diocese of Wollongong, spent time in Peru before arriving in Panama for the World Youth Day event with Pope Francis and young people from across the world, all exploring the theme of Mary's big 'Yes' to God when she said, “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38)

In this day and age we may well ask what meaning and relevance such a season of the year could have for us. When I was young it was about “giving up something” like chocolates or biscuits.

Now, for me, it means more about being aware of certain attitudes and behaviours that need healing.