Fr Ken Barker, moderator of the Missionaries of God's Love and founder of the Young Men of God Movement

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
23 Oct 2009

When Fr Ken Barker finished reading Keys of the Kingdom, Scottish author A.J. Cronin's much loved novel about a missionary priest in pre-revolutionary China, it was a life-changing moment.

"I was sitting in a park in Ashfield and as I finished the final page of the book and for the first time in my life, I felt the need to be a priest," he says today, smiling at the memory of himself as a young man who decided then and there he should immediately quit university and study for the priesthood.

"I was a country boy from Rye Park, a town of just 287 people near Harden in rural NSW, and had a Commonwealth Scholarship to Sydney Uni where I had just finished my second year of physics and maths studies for a science degree. But after reading A.J. Cronin's novel, I realised being a priest was my true vocation."

But to make sure, he says, he thought he had better consult God on the matter. Going into the nearest Catholic church, which happened to be St Vincent's Church at Ashfield, and although he had no money to pay for them, he lit every candle there and began praying to Our Lady.

"To be fair rather than praying in the normal sense, I simply sat there in front of a statue of Our Lady and waited for something, some knowledge of what God wanted me to do to come into my heart."

Determined to remain inside the historic Victorian church until all the candles had burned down, Fr Ken was convinced that when the final candle sputtered out, he would know.

It took all afternoon, but by then, as he had predicted, he knew without doubt that this was what God wanted.

"Which was when I realised I had to talk to a priest. But as I didn't know any priests in Sydney, I hitchhiked to Canberra where a priest who used to visit our family lived."

Tracking him down, Fr Ken blurted: "I've got to be a priest." To which the startled cleric said: "I thought you were at university in Sydney."

"I'm here in Canberra because I want to be a priest and I know if I don't do it now, I never will," the young man replied.

It was an unorthodox approach but there was no doubting Fr Ken's sincerity, so after asking him a few more questions, the priest sent Fr Ken to talk to one of Canberra's bishops who asked him why he wanted to become a priest.

"That was something I hadn't given any real thought to. I just knew I had to be a priest," Fr Ken says. Nevertheless when he searched his heart for reasons, the answer was easy: "To serve God and serve my fellowman," he said.

The Bishop smiled and picked up the phone. Calling St Columbus Seminary at Springwood which as it was February, was about to begin the latest intake of novitiates, he told the Rector:. "We've got another one coming."

"How soon?" the Bishop was asked.

"Now," came the reply.

Fr Ken then headed home to Rye Park to inform his family of his decision.

"I decided it would be best to tackle Dad first as he was not a Catholic. He was a non-practising Methodist. I remember he was sitting outside under the stars and when I told him, he was so astonished he let out an expletive. So I left him to think it over and told my mother, who was a devout Catholic and very happy for me.  Dad came inside a bit later and said: "Son, if you're going to be a priest you better be a bloody good one, like Monsignor O'Connor," who was our parish priest at Harden and Murrumburrah near where we lived.

Returning to Sydney, Fr Ken quit university, packed his bags and less than a week after his epiphany, he had entered the Springwood seminary and was in training to become a priest.

After two years there, it was decided he was so advanced he should skip a year, and continue his training at St Patrick's College, Manly. There he finished a degree in theology, graduating with honours, which was when Archbishop Cahill suggested the young seminarian, return to the University of Sydney and finish his science degree.

"I was still at the Manly seminary but while I was at the university I lived in St Michael's College under the care of Fr Frank Meecham," he says.

Fr Ken was ordained in 1974 by Archbishop Cahill and for the next two years was assistant parish priest in the area where he had grown up.

"I was born in Murrumburrah but age 10 lived not far from there in Rye Park where my father owned the general store," he says.

However his time back in familiar territory came to an end when he was sent to the US to study before being sent to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he obtained a Ph.D. in religious education.

"It was during this time I was able to travel to various communities in the US and this is where I first experienced the charismatic renewal of Catholic life."

"I was impacted by the way this charismatic renewal and commitment was being lived on in people's lives, whether they were single, married or consecrated, and after hearing a testimony from a priest who told how his life had been changed, I realised this was also the way I wanted to be involved with the Church and with God."

Back in Australia the charismatic renewal movement was also emerging. Appointed assistant priest to the Cathedral in Canberra and Diocesan Youth Minister, Fr Ken also became a member of the Disciples of Jesus Covenant.  This was a charismatic community but he says with his work with young people, he had a sense of wanting a stable base as well. The answer came when three young men from the Disciples of Jesus Community approached him independently and said they wanted to become priests. Fr Ken says he prayed on this matter for more than a year and it gradually became clear the Lord wanted him to form a Brotherhood to evangelise young people and live a life of poverty as Jesus had, and help the poor.

The Brotherhood would have a special love for the Virgin Mary and be dedicated to the heart of Christ. Discussing this with Archbishop Francis Carroll who was now Archbishop of Canberra Goulburn, it was eventually decided Fr Ken would leave his position as assistant priest at the Cathedral and form what was seen as a modified youth ministry and form of diocese priesthood which would be the equivalent of a congregation.

The Missionaries of God's Love (MGL) came into being in 1986 with a base in a suburban house in Canberra. Now 20 years later, the MGL has more than 40 members, 13 ordained priests, two deacons, 16 at its seminary in Melbourne which is overseen by Fr Chris Ryan who was the young MGL priest who travelled across Australia in 2008 with the World Youth Day Cross and Icon.

Today in addition to missions in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, the MGL operates missions in Darwin where chaplaincies minister to the Aboriginal community there, and in Manila where the brothers live amongst the poor in the squatter settlements of North Quezon City.

The Missionaries of God's Love now also have a sisterhood which holds camps and retreats for young people, co ordinates youth groups, runs lunchtime evangelisations and faith formation and works with indigenous people and the poor.

But the work of Fr Ken and the MGL doesn't stop there and inspired by St Francis of Assisi during a visit to Umbria in 2000, Fr Ken founded the Young Men of God Movement (YMGM) to reach out and empower young men with the love of God and to encourage them to become leaders within their own communities, maximise the talents God has given them, and realise their full potential.

The YMGM held its fifth annual conference in Sydney from October 23 until October 25 which was attended by more than 130 young men from across Australia.

This year also saw the female equivalent, the Sisterhood hold its first conference.

It is a growing movement and spreading among young people across Australia and embraces the charismatics spirit of renewal with an out pouring of the Holy Spirit and God's love.

Fr Ken still looks back on that day in Ashfield Park and A.J. Cronin's best selling novel and how through "Keys to the Kingdom" he found his own keys to God's Kingdom.