As we gathered during the visit of our Superior General, Fr. Anselmo Ricardo Ribeiro, SVD, we were reminded that communion is not simply being together. It is not merely sharing the same house, the same apostolate, or even the same mission projects. Communion is something much deeper. It is a grace.

The presence of the Superior General among us was not just an administrative visit. It was a visible sign that we belong to something greater — to the worldwide family of the Society of the Divine Word. It reminded us that our local realities in Mumbai are connected to the universal mission of the Church.

Communion begins in the heart of God. The Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — is perfect communion: distinct Persons, yet one in love and mission. When we speak about communion among SVD Fathers and Lay Partners, we speak of reflecting this divine mystery in our relationships, here and now.

In the Gospel of John 17:21, Jesus prays: “That they may all be one… so that the world may believe.” Unity is missionary. Communion is proclamation.

We came from different backgrounds, cultures, languages, and experiences. Some of us were ordained; others were lay partners. Some were young in vocation; others had served for decades. We carried different responsibilities, roles, and gifts. Yet before all these, we were brothers and sisters in the same mission — human, and therefore fragile.

Communion is not built on perfection. It is built on humility, patience, forgiveness, and listening.

For us in Mumbai — whether in parish ministry, formation houses, social apostolates, or community development initiatives — communion became our first witness. People do not only listen to what we preach; they observe how we live. When we are divided, our proclamation weakens. But when we live united, even amid diversity, our community itself becomes Good News.

The visit of Fr. Anselmo invited us to reflect:

• How did we live communion in our communities?
• How did we relate as SVD Fathers and Lay Partners?
• Did we truly see one another as collaborators in the one Divine Word Mission

We were reminded that communion requires:

• the courage to dialogue honestly,
• the maturity to accept differences,
• the humility to ask forgiveness, and
• the generosity to place the mission above personal preferences.

Communion does not mean uniformity. It does not mean that everyone thinks alike or works in the same way. It means walking together. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to harmonize our diversity.

Our greatest gift to Fr. Anselmo during his visit was not our reports, statistics, or achievements, but our lived witness of fraternity. As he returned to Rome, we hoped he carried with him the joy of seeing communion alive in Mumbai — among SVD confreres and Lay Partners.

Ultimately, communion is a gift. We cannot manufacture it. We can only dispose ourselves to receive it through prayer, openness, and daily conversion.

May this visit continue to renew in us the grace to live as true brothers and sisters in the Divine Word — so that our communion itself becomes mission.