Fr Paul Dogba SVD’s recent arrival at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne has fulfilled a long-held desire to work in the SVD Australia Province.

Fr Paul, who is from Ghana, has been assigned to work in theological formation in the AUS Province, teaching theology, missiology and homiletics at Yarra Theological Union.

The Emerald Catholic Parish in Queensland’s Central Highlands district is reaching out to welcome seasonal labourers from Pacific nations who have arrived in the rural area to work.

This month, Parish Priest Fr Truc Quoc Phan SVD, offered St Patrick’s Church in Emerald as the venue for the induction session for a group of 69 seasonal migrant workers from Tonga. Previously, the parish has offered a welcoming hand to workers from Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Samoa.

Happy New Year to all! I am delighted to be here sharing my first Provincial’s Message for our ‘In the Word’ e-news publication since my appointment took effect on January 1.

Having spent the last several years as parish priest of St Mark’s Parish, Inala, in Brisbane, and before that, being assigned to formation ministry at Dorish Maru College in Melbourne, I am aware that my first task in these early days as Provincial, is to listen and learn as I make my way around the Province.

Before we reflect on the Gospel, I want to share something very personal with you all.

In the gospel for this Sunday, which, like last week, is another story about Jesus’ baptism, somehow John doesn’t seem to recognise Jesus.

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord invites us to look at our own baptism in the Lord. Jesus, through his baptism in the river Jordan, begins his mission.

This Sunday, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord here in Australia. We celebrate where Jesus manifested himself to all the nations.

There was a story of a man who was deeply devoted to St Joseph and when he died he was at the gates of heaven and being interviewed by St Peter. St Peter, after assessing the record of this man declined him entry to heaven straightaway, but the man argued that he was a St Joseph devotee. Then, at the gate appeared St Joseph.

As the Vatican Christmas tree and Nativity Scene adorned a St Peter’s Square filled with faithful this week, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of Advent as a time of preparation to welcome the birth of Christ.

He offered the encouragement in his various greetings to pilgrims from different language groups during the Wednesday General Audience on December 17.

Advent and Christmas have been celebrated in a variety of different ways across the SVD Australia Province, from multicultural carols to Christmas lights, concerts to shared meals and gifts – all with the common theme of highlighting the nativity of Jesus Christ.

From the Indigenous communities in the Tiwi Islands, Central Australia, and Balgo to city suburbs in Australia and New Zealand and across to villages in Thailand and Myanmar, the Province has expressed a range of different cultural celebrations of Christmas.