The 2025 Dei Verbum Course was successfully implemented from August 3 to 30, 2025, at Ilizwi Biblical Centre, Plumtree, under the auspices of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) – Zimbabwe Region in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Bulawayo, Pontifical Missionary Union one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, the national direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies, SVD Poland Mission Office, and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference Biblical Apostolate.
Thirty-eight participants from Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Togo completed a four-week course that integrated biblical studies (Old and New Testaments), the pastoral use of Scripture, mission animation, and missionary spirituality. Fourteen facilitators led interactive courses using lectures, group work, group presentations, research, liturgy, and pilgrimages.
The 2025 theme was “I hope in your Word” (Ps 119:74), in line with the Jubilee Year of hope.
The first week began with participants' arrival, orientation and community building at Ilizwi Biblical Centre. Formal sessions commenced on Monday, August 4, under the guidance of Dr. Fr. Wojciech Szypuła, SVD, who led participants through an inspiring exploration of “The Covenants as Key to the Biblical Meta-Narrative.” Beginning with creation, the covenant with Noah and progressing through Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets to the New Covenant in Christ, the sessions traced the continuity of God’s salvific plan across the Scriptures.
During the remaining sessions of the week, participants engaged deeply with the theme of discipleship and mission in the four canonical Gospels.
A special highlight of the week was the online interactive session on August 6 with Fr. Anh Nhue, Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union in Rome. Drawing from Pope Francis’s Mission Sunday messages, he encouraged participants to rediscover the joy of the Gospel and to live as “missionary disciples filled with hope.”
The second week focused on the pastoral application of Scripture, equipping participants with creative and participatory methods for engaging the Word of God in their communities.
The third week focused on “The Old Testament and Mission.” This module invited participants to rediscover the Old Testament as a living witness to God’s missionary plan that unfolds in history and finds its fulfillment in Christ.
The final week of the Course brought together the entire learning journey, uniting Scripture, spirituality, and mission into a coherent whole. The theme, “Missionary Disciples of the Word,” invited participants to reflect on their personal vocation and to translate the insights gained from the course into concrete pastoral action. This concluding module emphasized the missionary identity of every baptized person and called participants to become active witnesses of the Word in their communities.
