The Missionary of the God’s Love Sisters are set to arrive in Perth.
Two representatives of one of the newest Australian religious communities of consecrated women – with an average age of 28 – will visit Perth in mid-July to let women in Perth interested in religious life know about their existence.
The Missionaries of God’s Love emerged from and remain closely involved with the Disciples of Jesus, a covenant community based in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. There are two branches of the MGLs, one for men and the other for women.
A covenant community such as the Disciples is one of the new ecclesial realities in the life of the Church which sees individuals – and sometimes entire families – focus seriously on their vocation as Christians.
Members of covenant communities seek to make a more serious commitment to the Church and their faith by undertaking regular formation as Catholic Christians, giving some priority to the needs of community life, and using some of their time for evangelisation.
The Missionaries of God’s Love Sisters started in 1987 in Canberra. By Catholic Church standards they are young – very young – both as a new form of religious life and in terms of their average age.
Today most Catholic mens and womens orders or institutes, in Australia and internationally, are ageing to the point of extinction with many withdrawing in recent decades from traditional activities such as education and healthcare.
This new group of consecrated women are now based in Canberra and Melbourne. The Sisters are women who have experienced the love of God in such a powerful way that they have chosen to give themselves completely to God.
They make life vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and live this through prayer, sisterhood, mission and ministry. Devoted to the proclamation of the Gospel, they minister with a particular focus on the evangelisation of young people and have a special love for the poor and marginalised.
The Sisters’ main ministries include youth groups, school retreats, youth and young adult events, Summer Schools of Evangelisation, leadership training programs, spiritual direction and faith formation, as well as ministries with Indigenous peoples.
One of the two who will be visiting Perth is Therese Mills, who has been an MGL Sister for 10 years and made her Final Vows in November last year.
Originally from sunny Cairns in north Queensland, she said she learnt to cope with the Canberra cold by bringing the fire of God’s love to the lives of young people.
She has almost completed a post-graduate diploma in counselling and recently returned to Australia after leading a group of young people to Papua New Guinea on mission.
She will be accompanied in Perth by Rosie Drum, originally from country NSW but currently living in Melbourne where she is studying a Theology degree.
Rosie still has a few years to go before she makes Final Vows, but is excited at the prospect of taking the step of giving all she has to God.
“I am just so aware of the amazing gift that our Catholic faith is,” she says. “It is my privilege to share it.”
In Perth Therese and Rosie will be at several events including:
Sunday July 19 – CYM Sunday Sesh at All Saints parish in Greenwood, after 5.30pm Mass.
Monday July 20 – MGL information evening, Integrity House, 67 Howe St, Osborne Park, 7.30pm
Wednesday July 22 – Encounter for young adults 18-35, Integrity House, 7.30pm
Friday 24- Sunday July 26, Fire Weekend
Anyone interested in more information can contact the MGL Sisters on 0432 228 250 or via trees@aapt.net.au.