St Columbans Mission Society priest Fr Daniel Harding SSC will be working across Adelaide parishes for the next year to promote the society's missionary work for the poor in 19 countries.
So far he's given parishioners insight into St Columbans Mission at Masses in the Cathedral Parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Succous in Kangaroo Island and Glenelg parish.
Fr Dan says standing in solidarity with the poor and a commitment to the integrity of creation was an essential part of his mission.
The Brisbane-born priest spent 22 years in Chile until 2012, when he returned to Australia to take up the post of editor of the Mission's Melhourne-based publication The Far East. He is continuing this role during his time in Adelaide.
"Latin America is one part of the world which has the greates inequity between the wealthy and the poor," said Fr Dan.
"In a country like Chile, it has improved a lot...but it's as though the poor do not exist there."
When he arrived in Chile as a young priest in 1990, 40 percent of Chileans lived below the poverty line. That number, he says, has fallen to 12 percent today. However, he says, has fallen to 12 percent cohort are "the hard-core poor" who do not have access to good health care or education.
Much of the work within his last parish, which sits on the outskirts of Chilean capital Santiago, involves providing education and employment opportunities as well as child care for working families.
A homework club was set up with 15 computers donated by the government. "in our area there would be one computer for every block of houses, while in the wealthies areas of Santiago, one household would own two to three computers."
Caring for the elderly was also a priority for the Columban Mission, as was providing holiday programs for children, including healthy meals.
"In these areas here are many undernourished children."
Fr Dan said illegal child workers were supported by the Mission to return to school, as were young mothers yet to complete high school. "Teen pregnancy is relatively common," said Fr Dan.
Despite the challenges, he says his work in Chile has been a "wonderful experience".
"There were many times that God was there to help me, strengthen me and guide me," he says. "The people have a strong faith and they evangelise you and I feel that I have grown as a priest."
AWARENESS RAISING: Fr Daniel Harding SSC, from St Columbans Mission SOciety, at St Patrick's Church, in Adelaide, where he has been providing insight into the lives of the poor in missions across the world.