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Volume 25 No. 1 | Autumn 2015
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Message from the Provincial Superior
Welcome to the Autumn edition of Society Matters for 2015.
Where I live, in Sydney, the Summer has been a turbulent one, especially in the lead-up to
Christmas, with hot, humid days, building up to spectacular storms in the evening. At times it
felt like we were living in the tropics! I think everyone is looking forward to some cool relief as
we look towards Autumn.
As Religious brothers and priests, we are gratefully living out Pope Francis’ call for this year
to be the Year for Consecrated Life. We see it as a year for spiritual renewal, as a time for
prayerfully reflecting on our vocation and our mission, and joyfully celebrating it. In June this
year, we will reflect further, when we hold our triennial Provincial Chapter meeting, gathering
together to listen to where the Spirit is leading the SVD AUS Province, and to respond to that
listening by setting our goals and priorities for the next three years.
One thing that becomes more, and more, clear to us is that our consecrated life as
missionaries is enriched and enhanced by our collaboration with lay people who are our
partners in mission. We are all engaged in Christ’s mission and, when we work together, it
is amazing what can be achieved. In his apostolic letter,
Evangelii Gaudium
, Pope Francis
quoted from a meeting of the South American and Caribbean bishops, who said:
“Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who
enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission
of communicating life to others.”
In this edition of Society Matters we read some wonderful stories of people who have left the
security of the shore and who are truly excited by the mission of communicating life to others.
One of our young missionaries, Br Iopam Willy Vincent SVD, shares with us his experience
of missionary life in the Philippines, while Fr Anton Bulla SVD looks back over his 60 years in
SVD vows and gives thanks for where God has led him, first in Europe, then PNG and now in
Australia. We also give thanks to God for the lives of two of our recently deceased confreres,
Fr Victor Stevko SVD and Fr Gerard Mulholland SVD. Our feature story tells of the wonderful
work being done in India, where the Divine Word Missionaries are helping to empower
women by teaching them to sew and to earn an income.
We thank you, our readers and partners in mission for supporting all that we do. May God
bless you.
Yours in the Word,
Fr Henry Adler SVD
Provincial Superior
Cover Story:
This sewing project in Khurda, India, is helping women to learn skills
and earn an income.
Appeal Office:
199 Epping Road, Marsfield NSW
Locked Bag 3, Epping NSW 1710 Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9868 2666 Fax: +61 2 9868 1010
Victoria:
100 Albion Road, Box Hill, Vic 3128 Tel: +61 3 9890 0065
Queensland:
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New Zealand:
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Published by Divine Word Missionaries Incorporated, ABN 51 885 667 646