When were you founded? Who is your Founder?
Good question! God began to move to bring about the Missionaries of God’s Love when a group of young people were praying and the Holy Spirit came down on them. They were baptised in the Holy Spirit. Fr Ken Barker, who was the director of their youth group, was away, and came back to find he now had a charismatic youth group. He saw that something very special had happened to the young people. Not long after, he too, was baptised in the Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit drew him to join the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community.
In 1985 God was busy calling people. Fr Ken was aware of the Spirit drawing him to live the gospel in a new way. Some young men in the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community heard a call to priesthood, but wanted to stay in the Community. They joined with Fr Ken to pray and ask God to show them what he wanted. From those times of prayer came the beginnings of the Missionaries of God’s Love—they felt God’s call to begin a brotherhood within the Community. The MGL brothers started their first house in Canberra, Australia in February, 1986.
Towards the end of 1985, Patti Jo Crockett (A Franciscan Missionary of Mary Sister for 21 years) received a call to start consecrated life for women in the Disciples of Jesus Community. It wasn’t long before some young women in the Community began to feel a call to consecrated life. Here we find the beginnings of the Missionaries of God’s Love Sisters. Fr Ken, Patti Jo, and the first brothers took vows as Missionaries of God’s Love on December 13, 1987. The first house of the sisters was started in Canberra in 1988.
Click here to watch a short Video on our story!
Are you all members of the Disciples of Jesus Community?
Yes we are, as Missionaries of God’s Love Sisters, we experience, within the general call to be covenant members (a life commitment) of the Community, also a particular calling to consecrated life. By following the call to be MGL Sisters, we embrace the general life and mission of the Community, and also take on a whole new way of life specific to the spirit, life and mission of the Sisters.
If I were to join the sisters, will I ever live in my own home town?
At present we have houses in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. If you were to join you would begin in our novitiate house and then the sisters discern with you where you will be placed. We don’t know where we will be in the future, as we move where we discern God is calling us.
When did you receive the call to join Consecrated Life?
Click here to see a short video to the answers from Katherine and Julie
Do you all live together or in separate houses?
We do all live together in sisterhood! Our life together as sisters in the Lord is characterised by loyalty, affection, encouragement, trust, affirmation, compassion, celebration (lots of joy and laughter) and recreation. Our life of sisterhood is the fruit of our common prayer and we try to establish a healthy balance of activities in common, so that unity is enhanced, and the whole person is cared for in the best way possible. We have times of prayer, times of sharing, times of celebration, times of reconciliation, times of recreation etc.
Can one of the sisters share how they became an MGL?
Sure can! Click here to watch a video of how Melanie became an MGL Sister
At what age do you accept someone into your sisterhood/group?
Thank you for your question! The common age for women to join MGL is usually 20-30 (early-mid) years of age. In saying that, we certainly discern each person and are open to journeying with those who are interested, that may not, necessarily fall into this age range.
As we enter into communication and relationship with the person, we are very much open to the movements of the Holy Spirit.
End FAQ
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