Leader’s Reflections

During August, I had the opportunity to attend a gathering of the Australian Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, and its Advisory Council with a group of leaders from 25 Ecclesial Movements and New Communities active in Australia. One of the topics we discussed was using our charisms for the mission of the Church. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference recently released a short publication on charisms—Gifted for the Mission: An Introduction to Charisms. The gathering emphasised that each of the movements and communities, like our own, has gifts and charisms that enhance the life of the Church, and that it is important we offer them in service of the Church.

As individuals, we have charisms that the Holy Spirit has given to us. All of us have experienced what are sometimes referred to as extraordinary charisms through our experience of the Charismatic Renewal (e.g., tongues, prophecy, and healing). However, there are other charisms listed in the scriptures which are less dramatic, such as mercy, hospitality, administration, encouragement, service. These charisms are also given to us as individuals to use in love to build up our sisters and brothers in the Church, and to assist others in encountering Jesus Christ.

Our community is enriched when every member uses the charisms that they have received from the Holy Spirit in service of our brothers and sisters and the wider Church. At a practical level, I am sure that the leaders of each of our DOJ locations would love more assistance in undertaking the activities that make up our community way of life, using the charisms we have each individually been given. The Holy Spirit bestows on us gifts throughout our entire life on earth, so that we can use those gifts no matter what our current age or state of life.

The words of Pope Francis and quoted in the Bishops’ recent publication on charisms provide a challenge for us all: “Each of us should ask him/herself: ‘Is there a charism that the Lord has endowed me with, by the grace of his Spirit, and that my brothers and sisters in the Christian community have recognised and encouraged? And how do I act with regard to this gift: do I use it with generosity, placing it at the service of everyone, or do I overlook it and end up forgetting about it?”

I encourage you to reflect on the charisms that the Lord has given you, asking the Lord to show you how you can use them in the service of our community, the wider Church, and in drawing others to encounter the risen Lord.

God Bless.

DOJCC PNG New Members

Recently, the Lord blessed Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community Port Moresby as 17 singles and 1 couple signed an underway commitment at St John the Apostle Parish, Tokarara.

Many thanks to all the friends, relatives, and benefactors for your continuous prayers and support.

A special thank you to Fr Gaudencio PIME Missionary and Fr Mathew PIME Missionary for their openness and continuous support.
by Paul Miamel

Sydney Community Weekend

Over the weekend of August 29 – 31, the two Sydney DOJ branches, Sydney North and Sydney South, partnered together to run a community weekend, held at the Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort, for all those discerning a call to the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community. God’s blessing and anointing were on the weekend. The organising ran smoothly; everyone enjoyed each other’s company, and overall, we had a peaceful and pleasant time. We even bonded together over some team building activities run by YMT. But deeper still, God’s presence moved among us profoundly. One person described the weekend as a ‘call to deepen your relationship with Christ.’

The entire weekend began with a reminder to be in covenant for mutual upbuilding in Christ. The talks on discernment and vocation guided us to hear the voice of Christ speaking to us personally, and the preaching on community life presented the challenge to step into a lifestyle in pursuit of Christ. The most profound and moving experiences were when we gave God the space to enter in and touch us. The times of prayer, the silence, and the Saturday night prayer rally were moments of grace. God moved and changed us from within. We were also blessed when the Wollongong Branch joined us for Sunday Charismatic Mass. We thank God for such a rich and uplifting weekend. And, we look forward to the next Community Weekend when the call to deepen our relationship with Christ and each other can be presented again.
By Matthew Leslie

DOJCC Bali 21st Anniversary

DOJCC Bali celebrated their 21st anniversary with a retreat over the weekend of 20-21 September. It was an opportunity to come together and thank the Lord for the gift of DOJ Bali, all He has done in the lives of our brothers and sisters, and to listen to speakers from Surabaya in Indonesia.

Please continue to pray for our sisters and brothers in Bali, that they would continue to be faithful to the Lord’s call, and that the Lord would continue to bless them and draw others into the community.

Cake and participants:

MGL Ordinations and Perpetual Vows

Fr Joseph Nivaskaran MGL and Fr Michael Last MGL were ordained on Friday the 5th of September 2025 at St Christopher’s Cathedral in Canberra.

Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate this significant milestone over the course of the weekend, many of which being members of the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community from all across Australia, such as from Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Perth.

The celebrations included the two thanksgiving Masses of Fr Joseph MGL and Fr Michael MGL which occurred on Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th, respectively, at St Benedict’s in Narrabundah.

“I was totally overwhelmed by God’s love”, said Fr Michael MGL.

Speaking with Fr Michael MGL, the journey to his ordination involved patience and perseverance.

Fr Michael MGL expressed that he was “… so thankful to God for the grace of his calling”, a calling that he began to discover in his young adult years through connecting with the Disciples of Jesus Community.

“If it weren’t for that friend inviting me to Summer School, I may have never even met the MGLs!”, said Fr Michael MGL.

The weekend was a joyous occasion, with International Leader of DOJ, Peter Mullins, stating that “the ordination was a great opportunity for our DOJ community to come together from different DOJ locations to celebrate the MGLs who are an incredible gift to our community and to the entire Church”.

As a DOJ Community, may we pray for Fr Joseph Nivaskaran MGL and Fr Michael Last MGL as they commence this significant next step on their path to Sainthood.

Around the time of the ordination weekend, Fr. Adrianus Sura MGL was ordained to the Priesthood in Indonesia, and in August, Leander Gonsalves MGL took his final vows as an MGL brother.
By Callum Hussein

DOJ Community-Wide Intercession

By Matthew Leslie

The latest DOJ intercession was on 16 August 2025. Matt Leslie has provided a summary of the intercession.

We started praying prayers of blessings over DOJ (picking up from last session). We then felt that some people, although blessed, are finding it hard to see God’s blessings. So, we prayed that our eyes might be opened and our faith strengthened. We prayed that people would not lose heart.

The prayer felt like Jesus praying for His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Although He knew there were times of trial and hardship ahead, Jesus prayed that the hearts of the disciples would be strengthened. He also asked Peter, James, and John to keep watch with Him, to keep praying that their hearts may be strengthened.

In the Garden, Jesus also prayed that the world might believe in His message through the unity of the disciples. We prayed that DOJ might be one in mind, heart, and faith. Through prayer, the Lord will soften our hearts and we will be united — it will only happen through prayer.

In summary:

Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community, do not lose heart in the midst of hardship. Through this, the Lord is healing, cleansing, and strengthening you.
Keep praying that your hearts might be strengthened in faith, hope, and love. Through this prayer, we will all grow closer to the Lord and be united with Him and each other.

The remaining intercession date for this year is on Saturday 15 November from 9-10am. Please join us as all community members are welcome. The zoom link for the next session is below:

Time: November 15, 2025 09:00 AM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81274308630?pwd=aqb7wbxgeWDXt2LNKTlTZD22RrooTS.1

UPCOMING EVENTS