Missionaries of God's Love 1.39

The Missionaries of God's Love began within the Disciples of Jesus covenant community in Canberra in 1986, under the guidance of Fr. Ken Barker. Some young men, who belonged to the covenant community, approached Fr. Ken, expressing a call to priesthood, but also wanting to remain part of the community. They agreed to meet weekly before the Blessed Sacrament for a year in order to listen to the Lord's direction. At the end of that time they began to share a common life together in a fraternity house, seeking to live the Gospel in a radical manner, by imitating Jesus in his poverty, and developing a strong life of prayer and brotherhood. They began to understand that their commitment to contemplative prayer, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and charismatic worship, was meant to empower them to bring God's love to others, especially to the alienated and marginalised in society.

Gradually, young men have been ordained as priests and sent out to assist in the Church's mission of the "new evangelization". Some of our priests undertook mission work in Papua New Guinea. A mission was established in Darwin in 1996 working with the urban Catholic aboriginal community. We are also heavily involved in Youth Ministry work in the Northern Territory. In the same year, a mission was opened in Manila ministering within a so-called "squatter" area. Since then, we have taken on the care of St Peter's Parish in North Quezon City.

In 1998, the Missionaries were given responsibility for St Benedict's Parish, Narrabundah, Canberra. We are in the process of developing a Eucharistic Centre at this site involving Youth Ministries, spiritual programmes and Eucharistic Adoration. We have also been involved in university chaplaincies.

In 2006, we were given responsibility for St Benedict's Parish, Burwood, Melbourne. This is also the site for one of our House of Studies. As well as a vibrant Youth Ministry, St Benedict’s has more than 60 hours of Eucharistic adoration each week.