My name is Fr Ken Barker from the Missionaries of God's Love. I would like to share something of our story with you.
We are a new congregation in the Catholic Church, established in Canberra in 1986. We are dedicated to bringing the Good News of God's love to those who do not yet know His love. We are especially focused on young people and the poor.
In 1986 some young men approached me. They, like myself, were a part of a Catholic lay community called the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community. These young men expressed a call to the priesthood, but also wanted to remain part of the Disciples Community. After much prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we agreed to share a common life together, seeking to live the Gospel in a radical way, by imitating Jesus in his poverty, and developing a strong life of prayer and brotherhood. We began to understand that our commitment to contemplative prayer, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and charismatic worship, were meant to empower us to bring God’s love to others, especially to the alienated and marginalised in our society.
Over the years, many young men have heard the call of Jesus to consecrate themselves to Him and give their lives for the preaching of the Gospel. We have felt a call to go out on mission throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. We currently have mission centres in Canberra; Melbourne; Sydney; Darwin; Flores, Indonesia and Manila in the Philippines.
In all of these locations we seek to bring people into a living relationship with Jesus by proclaiming the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
