Three seminarians from Papua New Guinea (PNG) professed their perpetual vows as members of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) during a ceremony held at the Holy Spirit Chapel of the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay on July 19, 2025.
The newly professed Divine Word Missionaries from PNG are Frt. Jonathan Whimari of East Sepik, Frt. Freddy Lyaki of Enga, and Frt. Terrence A. Basse. They were among seven candidates from various parts of Asia and the Pacific who made their final profession on the same occasion.
The rite of perpetual vows was attended by representatives of the Catholic faithful, seminary formators, friends, and families, including delegations from Papua New Guinea who traveled to the Philippines to witness the milestone.
The event marked the culmination of years of formation and discernment for the candidates, who are now permanently committed to the missionary congregation’s charism of “proclaiming the Word” across cultures and frontiers.
Formed in the parishes and catechist-led communities of PNG, the three newly professed missionaries now join the ranks of SVD priests and brothers serving in more than 80 countries worldwide. Their final commitment is seen as a source of encouragement for vocations within the region.
The Society of the Divine Word was founded in 1875 by Saint Arnold Janssen and is one of the largest missionary congregations in the Catholic Church.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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