For Indonesia’s Laurensius Woda, being a part of the Divine Word Missionaries’ Overseas Training Program in New Zealand and Australia has helped him find the real meaning of being a religious missionary.

The Overseas/Cross-Cultural Training Program (OTP) gives missionary students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new language, experience a new culture and engage in supervised ministry.

The SVD Postulants of the Australia Province have been visiting SVD parishes and sharing their personal stories as part of special Vocations Weekends.

Postulant Steve Desveaux says it was a great experience to meet people in SVD parishes and share some of his own vocation journey with them.

Australian-born Archbishop Douglas Young SVD, the Archbishop of Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea has spoken out strongly against the death penalty being introduced as punishment for crimes.

Archbishop Young has told the Fides Catholic News Agency that he condemns the pro-capital punishment campaign being carried out in the country.

Every morning, as the bright sun rises over Central Australia and the desert country slowly comes to life, a small group of Religious, from a variety of congregations, begin their day by gathering together to praise God.

Leadership in Mission must be prophetic, attentive to the Spirit, and should always be based on Jesus’ model of servant leadership, the Mission: One Heart Many Voices conference heard.

Two day workshop on Leadership and Intercultural Living for SVDs under 50 years of age followed the National Mission Conference “One Heart Many Voices” in Sydney in the first week of May 2013.  

In his opening address the AUS provincial Fr. Tim Norton emphasised the importance of developing leadership skills in the light of the upcoming elections for a new AUS provincial and a new provincial council.

The amazing grace of mission is that it involves participating in the work of the Trinity, making us partners in mission with God, visiting missiologist, Professor Stephen Bevans SVD has told a mission conference in Sydney.

If you’re a night owl in Melbourne, looking for some inspirational late night TV this week, why not tune in to Channel 31 or 44 at 11.30pm on Wednesday, to see Fr Stephen Pilly SVD being interviewed about his missionary vocation on the Spirit of Life program?

Melbourne's Yarra Theological Union is one of Australia's  great ecumenical and learning endeavours, reaching out to all in a spirit of service and hospitality. Its hospitality includes offering courses on other religions and understanding of the religious traditions of Australia. This year YTU celebrates 40 years since it was established. Fr Jacob Kavunkal SVD reflects on its important place in our society.

As a chaplain at Sydney’s busy Westmead Hospital, Fr Sunil Nagothu SVD is no stranger to pain, suffering, fear and anxiety. But amidst all the turmoil, he says there is also a good measure of joy and the ‘honour and privilege’ of being with people at the most vulnerable time in their life, bringing them comfort and sometimes even helping them find a path home to God.