Missionaries of God's Love

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The Missionaries of God's Love (MGL) is a Roman Catholic religious group started in Canberra, Australia in 1986. It works with a lay organization called The Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community.

It was founded by Fr Ken Barker, who leads the group and also started the Young Men of God Movement.

Thirty-one years after its start, MGL has more than 70 members, including 30 ordained priests. They run missions in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, and also in Darwin, where chaplaincies serve the Aboriginal community, and in Manila, where the brothers live among the poor in the squatter settlements of North Quezon City.

In 2000, inspired by St Francis of Assisi during a visit to Umbria, Fr Ken started the Young Men of God Movement to help young men feel God’s love, become leaders in their communities, use their talents, and reach their full potential.

MGL is growing into a multicultural brotherhood, with members from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, East Timor, India and Nigeria. Their main mission is to help people in Australia, especially young people who feel distant from God due to secularism and relativism.

There are also 19 Sisters living in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne who work with young people in evangelisation and mission, in many of the same areas as the priests and brothers. Sr Patti Jo Crockett MGL helped co-found the sisters.

In 2019, two sisters, Judy and Therese, competed on The Amazing Race Australia 4.

In 2014, the order of Priests and Brothers was officially recognised by the Vatican as a religious institute of diocesan rite.