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Fall 2015
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Volume 10 Issue 15
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As the Fall leaves shimmer with brilliant hues, we are grateful for the many inspiring events happening in our ministry. Many chapters are reporting such excitement starting our new Bible Study debuted at our International Conference last April. Some chapters are celebrating their first inaugural meal, and our ministry will be featured on Johnnette Benkovic's "Women of Grace" program on EWTN, discussing our newly published book Magnificat Proclaims. I believe these are very exciting times since the Magnificat Ministry was founded 34 years ago! Rejoice with us!
Blessings,
Kathy MacInnis, Coordinator
Central Service Team
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Watch Magnificat on EWTN!
Our Magnificat Proclaims book will be featured on "Women of Grace" airing on EWTN Nov. 2nd - 6th at 11:00 A.M. and 11:30 P.M. Eastern (check the local times in your area). To God be the glory! May He make it fruitful!
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| Left to Right: Elyse O'Kane, Paulette Renaudin,
Johnnette Benkovic, Donna Ross, Kathy MacInnis, Diane Bates,
Elizabeth Kim, Annette Baber |
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Holy Father's Monthly Intentions
Universal: That human trafficking, the modern form of slavery, may be eradicated.
Evangelization: That with a missionary spirit the Christian communities of Asia may announce the Gospel to those who are still awaiting it.
November:
Universal: That we may be open to personal dialogue with all, even those whose convictions differ from our own.
Evangelization: That pastors of the Church, with profound love for their flocks may accompany them and enliven their hope.
December:
Universal: That all may experience the mercy of God, who never tire of forgiving.
Evangelization: That families, especially those who suffer, may find in the birth of Jesus a sign of certain hope.
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Office of Readings
Second Reading from a sermon by Saint Bernard, Abbot
We should meditate on the mysteries of salvation
The child to be born of you will be called holy, the Son of God, the fountain of wisdom, the Word of the Father on high. Through you, blessed Virgin, this Word will become flesh, so that even though, as he says: I am in the Father and the Father is in me, it is still true for him to say: "I came forth from God and am here."
In the beginning was the Word. The spring was gushing forth, yet still within himself. Indeed, the Word was with God, truly dwelling in inaccessible light. And the Lord said from the beginning: I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. Yet your thought was locked within you, and whatever you thought, we did not know; for who knew the mind of the Lord, or who was his counselor?
And so the idea of peace came down to do the work of peace: The Word was made flesh and even now dwells amongst us. It is by faith that he dwells in our hearts, in our memory, our intellect and penetrates even into our imagination. What concept could man have of God if he did not first fashion an image of him in his heart? By nature incomprehensible and inaccessible, he was invisible and unthinkable, but now he wished to be understood, to be seen and thought of.
But how, you ask, was this done? He lay in a manger and rested on a virgin's breast, preached on a mountain, and spent the night in prayer. He hung on a cross, grew pale in death, and roamed free among the dead and ruled over those in hell. He rose again on the third day, and showed the apostles the wounds of the nails, the signs of victory; and finally in their presence he ascended to the sanctuary of heaven.
How can we not contemplate this story in truth, piety and holiness? Whatever of all this I consider, it is God I am considering; in all this he is my God. I have said it is wise to meditate on these truths, and I have thought it right to recall the abundant sweetness, given by the fruits of this priestly root; and Mary, drawing abundantly from heaven, has caused this sweetness to overflow for us.
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Magnificat CST Spiritual Advisor
Fr. Kevin Scallon, C.M.
JESUS WIFI
PASSWORD: COME HOLY SPIRIT
I write in the aftermath of the Pope's visit to the U.S. By any standard, it was a triumph, a tsunami of Divine Grace, a unique moment in U.S. history. The American people do not realize yet how their country has been changed. The tyranny of secularism has been breached. And the Pope is right in suggesting that the worst aspect of environmental abuse is the treatment of poor people and their children. We all know that when the IMF and the World Bank discuss loans for the Third World, their first suggestion is to kill unborn children and to sterilize their mothers. The greatest treasure of the poor is their children, and Pope Francis would say "feed them, don't kill them." People, especially T.V. people, kept asking, "What is it about this Pope? What is this magnetism; where is it coming from?" We all have our smartphones. We are familiar with that feeling of trying to get something where there is no WiFi, so you can't read Zenit or Drudge, or anything else because there is no WiFi. Pope Francis is like a gigantic WiFi transmitter. And the transmitter is called Jesus. We receive this beautiful clear signal through our special receptor which we call Baptism: not by means of Google, but by means of the Holy Spirit. This is my simple explanation of what happens. Like all analogies, it is limited. But when people are looking at and listening to Pope Francis, they are looking at and listening to Jesus. Baptized Catholics know this with a certainty of faith. They who are not baptized are also aware of being in the presence of the God who loves us all. Pope Francis said to them, "If you can't send me your prayers, then send me your goodwill and good wishes."
People say, he should have used the word abortion. He did not, because he was aware that for any woman listening to him who had procured an abortion, the sound of that word would have been like a dagger driven into her heart. When the "sinful woman" was brought before Jesus, He did not scold her for being a sinner, nor did He tell her that she had not sinned. She knew that she had. He told her, lovingly, that no one had condemned her and that He did not condemn her either. And then He said, "Go now and sin no more" (John 8:1-11).
Pope Francis is not going to change the truth of the Church's teaching on anything. He can't. He is the Pope. What he is trying to do is to invent a new way of expressing such teaching: a way that is loving and reconciling, and a way that does not condemn. He realizes that there is enough harshness and negativity in this world. I hear people criticizing him because he says things differently. It is the age of mercy, and the Jubilee Year of Mercy begins on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. May we who belong to Magnificat show the merciful face of Jesus to all the banished children of Eve.
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Founding Coordinator Speaks at Mother Chapter's Meal
By Lisanne Alack Dussouy, Metarie Chapter
Magnificat began Oct. 7th, 1981 on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Its 34th Anniversary was celebrated in Metairie, Louisiana two days early, Oct. 5th. That day was the feast of St. Faustina who will be highlighted in the upcoming Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis to begin on Dec. 8th. One hundred and twenty-five multi-generational women shared fellowship at a breakfast meal. Prayer and praise time was followed by the heartfelt, Holy Spirit lead testimony of Founding Coordinator Marilyn Quirk, who shared many details of her life's journey with Christ and the evolution of Magnificat.
The mood was joyous with anticipation, as Praise Leader Denise Balint inspired attendees with her enthusiasm: "With smiles on our faces and our feet dancing, we are cheerleaders for the Lord. We raise our pom pom's for Jesus." Guitarist Jamie Diliberto and Denise then led the women in a blessing over Marilyn. With hands extended: "Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on her."
Several of the women who participated in the first Magnificat breakfast were present. Service Team Coordinator Donna McNamara introduced Marilyn, her spiritual friend of 45 years, as a true servant of the Lord. Marilyn brings to mind the First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation. Donna thanked the Holy Spirit for stirring up the Charismatic Renewal, then shared 2 scriptures close to Marilyn's heart: "...the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" Romans 5:5 and "Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 Two words that characterize Marilyn are tender compassion.
Marilyn's humble response as she took the podium was, "Wow, that's a lot to follow. Thank you!" She shared how she was born in New Orleans, daughter of a Sicilian Catholic father and an English Episcopalian mother, saying, "Two families came together that were two worlds apart." Marilyn described herself as being a pious little girl with religious ways that had an early Catholic school start. But prompted by her mother's unease, her parents agreed to switch her to public schools and taught her the Episcopal faith, but Marilyn continued to be inspired by her devoted Catholic grandmother. She recalled praying often with her, who hoped Marilyn would become Catholic one day. After suffering severe back pains as a young girl, the doctor said that surgery would be necessary to correct curvature of the spine. But Marilyn knew that Jesus could heal her. She told the doctor, "Give me 2 weeks." Upon the return visit, he declared that surgery was no longer necessary! Needless to say, Marilyn's relationship with Jesus was deepening.
Initially, interested in becoming a medical missionary, Marilyn went on to attend college at Louisiana State University where she met many Catholic girls when living in the dorms on campus and was active socially. She met her now husband of 57 years, Pete Quirk, whom she described as a man of faith and integrity. During this searching time she shared a moment with the Lord where she heard Him tell her "There is no joy in this life greater than My joy if you are in My will." Marilyn felt called to pray about her vocation and sought wise and holy counsel. Encouraged by Newman Club Chaplain Rev. Stanley Ott, who later became Bishop Ott, she studied the Catholic faith and prayed about God's will for her life. Fr. Ott led her discernment by using the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. She shared her uncertainty regarding beliefs about Mary and the Pope, but after praying for the gift of faith, she felt lead to embrace and trust the Catholic faith in its entirety.
Marilyn followed her heart and accepted her calling to be a wife. She recalled feeling an outpouring of God's grace as she received the Sacrament of Matrimony in 1958 at St. Dominic Church in New Orleans. She reflected on the special graces received in marriage and how meaningful it was that both her grandmothers were present at her wedding. Her Catholic grandmother was specially blessed seeing her prayers answered, as she went to be with the Lord shortly after witnessing Marilyn and Pete's wedding.
Life took shape and Marilyn recalled a time when Jesus wasn't at the center of her life. A friend repeatedly invited her to attend a charismatic prayer meeting. She kept refusing to go until like the judge in the gospel she reasoned that this persistent friend was going to wear her out and she finally went. At the meeting she began to weep as she felt God's grace stirring up inside her. She said it wasn't a drastic change, but over a period of time she wanted to read Scripture daily, go to church, help others and she acknowledged she was being transformed. "After you experience Jesus in your life you can't be the same, He brings about amazing renewal" she shared.
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| | Patti Mansfield and Marilyn Quirk |
Marilyn became pregnant at 42 with her 6th child and received confirmation from her spiritual friends that she should continue to say "yes" to Jesus as she surrendered her life to him. She was floored by the suggestion from her obstetrician whose wife was active in the Protestant Women's Aglow Movement that she should think about starting such a group for Catholic women. This was confirmed by now Bishop Ott. Marilyn was feeling the leading of the Holy Spirit. She consulted with her Charismatic Renewal friend Patti Mansfield and the women in various prayer groups and plans for the first Magnificat meal were born.
After reflecting on the Annunciation, Marilyn developed a devotion to the Blessed Mother and received the courage to consecrate herself to Mary in which she was enlightened and grew in appreciation of being a woman who could embrace the feminine gift of influence and power over the human race. She bravely expressed how now, when evil is called good and good is called evil, women need to look to saintly women of the past and find strength to combat evil through openness to the Holy Spirt in a uniquely designed feminine way.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, mother of St. John the Baptist, embody the mission of Magnificat. Marilyn shared how Magnificat gatherings are meant to bring to life the reflection of mercy and love displayed in the embrace shared between Mary and Elizabeth. Scripture tells how Mary walked 92 miles by foot, to greet her beloved cousin. Upon hearing Mary's voice, Elizabeth said the baby leapt in her womb, as she proclaimed aloud "Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" Mary then proclaimed her Magnificat, Lk 1:46-49. Marilyn feels as members of Magnificat, we too, like Mary, need to run in haste to bring the good news of salvation to our sisters in Christ.
Marilyn spoke of the significance of our role as women today and the importance of walking the extra mile not only for our like-minded sisters, but through displaying a welcoming spirit. She has been told that Magnificat has also ministered to those in the priesthood as well as everyday women as they live out their own journeys of faith. She has had the blessing of visiting many of the international chapters: including Poland, Ireland, the Caribbean Islands, as well as the flourishing Spanish chapters. The cultural differences that make each group uniquely blessed by the Spirit leave her in awe of the Lord's hand in each our lives.
Magnificat hosts prayer breakfasts quarterly that include a testimony as a means of evangelizing. There are Life in the Spirit Seminars and intercessory prayer gatherings. Once a small women's prayer group that initially began at Marilyn's home, Magnificat is now a gathering place to inspire and share faith and fellowship among thousands of Catholic women, who are blessed by the continual flow of grace and sisterhood of this ministry which now spans globally, with 105 chapters in 11 countries and 14 in formation.
Marilyn encourages us to accept our role, with belief that the moral climate of civilization can be changed by women's ability to embrace their holy femininity. "He wants to transform each of us from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Do this by humbly acknowledging we need Him, pray daily, set time aside with God. Make the commitment to read scripture, the living word of God. Humbly welcome the word that has the power to change us. Participate in the sacraments and pray the rosary." She believes there has been a battle going on against the souls of women for the last 50 years. We need to hold fast to our gifts as Godly women.
In conclusion she prompted actions, saying, "At this time we need prayer more than ever". Women can change the face of the earth, as we seek Jesus' face and are conformed to His image. We are asked to say "yes" to God as Mary exemplified with great faith and trust as she allowed the Spirit to use her womb as the temporary home of our Savior. In saying "yes" to God, we embody the graces bestowed by the fruits of the Holy Spirit and will begin to see not only ourselves transformed but the world around us. Surrendering our lives to Christ relinquishes the power of God, in which we may be amazed to find ourselves dwelling in the Fountain Garden village with Mary and Elizabeth, amongst millions of God's chosen children, transformed by mercy into faith-filled eternal butterflies.
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Precious Pearls and Diamonds
By Jackie Ghawaly, Holy Family Institute
On the occasion of blessing this image of Divine Mercy (by Fr. Harold Cohen), what appears to be 'diamonds' can be seen emanating from the Heart of Jesus.
Magnificat's first Spiritual Director, Fr. Harold Cohen, SJ, often announced, "precious pearls and diamonds" ... "pour forth from the wound in His (Jesus') Heart." * Jesus pours them out and we must gather them, "knowing the greatness of these gifts," "these treasures of grace," * for ourselves and for others. Jesus is the 'King of Mercy' **; he loves us so much! In the wave of "unfathomable mercy", anything can be obtained from God. A fountain of 'all grace' springs forth from Jesus' heart, so filled with love and compassion for all people. *** God's mercy is so all-encompassing that when even the most hardened sinner opens himself to God's mercy (even slightly), the 'floodgates are open' and God's tender mercy comes rushing in.**** Confidently, one must trust in God to receive His mercy. 'Jesus, we trust in You!'
This time of Mercy is an immense time of grace, a time of preparation. Before the second coming, Jesus said, "all light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day." **** The present time of mercy is one during which we are to both practice and receive mercy. First and foremost, this is about receiving and granting forgiveness; we must strive to be merciful in every situation. With tremendous gratitude and awe we recognize that we are in the midst of this reign of the King of Mercy. Let us resemble Him!
Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary of St. Mary Faustina Kowalska
* 1687
** 88
*** 1190
**** 83
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The Week That Was ... at EWTN!
By Paulette Renaudin, CST Member
Of all the experiences the present CST has shared in the Magnificat Ministry, I can say that it never crossed our minds that we would one day be interviewed at EWTN on the popular "Women of Grace" program with host, Johnnette Benkovic, about our newly published book, Magnificat Proclaims.
From Isaiah 41:9-10 "You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and summoned from its far-off places, You whom I have called my servant, whom I have chosen and will not cast off - Fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed; I am your God. I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my right hand."
Johnnette invited us and several of the contributors to our newly published book, Magnificat Proclaims, to be on her program. It was truly an answer to prayer. "With God all things are possible" Mark 10:27. Ten years ago, our present Coordinator, Kathy MacInnis was living in Birmingham, AL, and she received the inspiration for Magnificat Proclaims to be a television program on EWTN. Kathy met and visited with EWTN executives and shortly thereafter Magnificat Proclaims became a radio show, proclaiming the goodness of the Lord by providing EWTN with testimonies from our Magnificat Meals to be broadcast on EWTN. That was amazing, but the Lord had more in mind. Four years ago, we starting compiling 19 testimonies from Magnificat Meals from around the world into a book called Magnificat Proclaims. The Lord provided all the people it took to publish the book from editors, transcribers, graphic design artists, publisher, etc. They each came forward at just the right stage of production. Under the diligence of CST member, Donna Ross, the book became a reality that we dedicated to our mothers. The book was published in time to showcase it to our entire ministry at our International Conference in Washington, D.C. in April. Johnnette Benkovic was present at our Conference and mentioned possibly promoting the book on her "Women of Grace" program in the future. That invitation became a reality last week for the present CST and three contributing authors in the book.
We landed in Birmingham, AL and checked into the Regina Coeli House on EWTN property. It was the exact same house that Marilyn Quirk and Babsie Bleasdell stayed in when they were interviewed on EWTN many years ago. Let me say right now ... we felt your prayers! The first blessing was that the yard men were just finishing up at the house when we arrived and they helped carry our bags up multiple levels and many steps! The whole week I was thinking of the "geese video" we showed at the Conference, with all the geese flying in V-formation encouraging each other the whole way. That was you, the ministry, praying for all of us to do our best. We heard your "honking" for us! Thank you! We are all sisters in the Lord par excellence! We, as a team, prayed over each speaker before their interview. The testimonies chosen were Annette Baber, Dr. Elizabeth Kim and Elyse O'Kane, as well as Kathy MacInnis and Diane Bates. Kathy and I also talked about the Magnificat Ministry. A priest from EWTN stopped by the set and asked us if we would like a blessing with a St. Padre Pio relic, of course you know his motto, Pray, Hope and Don't Worry! Thank you, Lord, we needed that blessing right then. One evening while we were at dinner in the EWTN dining room, Fr. Mitch Pacwa was there and joined us at our table. What a pleasant surprise!
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| Top Left- Kathy MacInnis, Diane Bates, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Paulette Renaudin, Donna Ross, Elyse O'Kane, Elizabeth Kim, Annette Baber Top Right- CST and Birmingham Chapter Bottom Left- CST & Birmingham Service Team,
Bottom Right- Blue Orchid delivered on our 34th Anniversary |
Celebrating the milestone of our 34th Anniversary of the Magnificat Ministry at EWTN was another blessing. We were meeting that day in the hotel and there was a knock on the door and the man delivered blue orchids to us. He had no clue what day we were celebrating! Lord, we are amazed by YOU! Another blessing was attending the Birmingham Chapter "Women of Faith" Meal. They had a wonderful speaker and we had a delightful time. We also had a true visitation dinner one evening with the Birmingham Chapter including Service Team Members and their Advisory Team Members. We filled up a whole room in the restaurant. We were blessed one day to attend Mass at Mother Angelica's shrine in Hanceville and tour the St. John Paul II Eucharistic Center. We visited the EWTN Religious Catalog warehouse where they will be shipping our books once the show is aired. We celebrated Annette's birthday, an unforgettable time! We met with many employees of EWTN who shared how wonderful it is to be employed at a place where you can always share your faith. We learned EWTN is aired in 300 million households around the world and we saw TV monitors with all the different programs airing in all the time zones. We would like to thank the ministry for their prayers for this epic milestone in our ministry! Magnificat Proclaims will be telecast: Nov. 2nd - 6th on EWTN's program "Women of Grace", 11:00 AM and 11:30 PM Eastern (check the local times in your area). After the program airs, we will see where the Lord will take these powerful testimonies. The books can travel to places where Chapters are not established yet. We serve a mighty God who holds us in the palm of His hand. May our ministry be blessed a hundredfold for this incredible opportunity to magnify the Lord to the ends of the earth!
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| Top Left: EWTN TV Monitors, Top Right: Satellite Dishes, Bottom Left: Annette Baber's Birthday,
Bottom Midldle: EWTN Religious Catalogue, Bottom Right: Hanceville Shrine |
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Inaugural Meal for Mary, Cause of our Joy
By Laurie Walsh, Chapter Coordinator
It began on Sept 19, 2010 that Mary put the information and inspiration for Magnificat (literally) in our lap. Carolyn Wright, Olga Myers, Carol Razza, Maria Vadia and many others including the team from the Tucson Chapter came to Phoenix for a Charismatic Conference called WOW. I had just left my career three months earlier after having a "big mac" sized brain tumor removed. Since then I kept praying and asking God how He wanted me to serve Him in the days and possibly years to come. It was to be on this day, that I would meet these amazing women and get my answer.
My traumatized husband had also decided to retire early fearing our time together may be cut short. He was putting up with me daily, as I was telling him we had to go out and "shake the bushes" to find what God had for us to do. I knew He had work for us! He kept saying "Laurie, it will land right in your lap!" We now laugh as I recall that I began to think, "how did it get to be MY lap, what about our laps?" And that night before Fr. Tom DeLorenzo came out on stage, it hit me, maybe it's for me to do some kind of ministry work for God. Right then I prayed "God, if it's just me you want to do a ministry, have them call my name for this raffle." They were bringing out the raffle basket and right then, the first name picked, "Laurie Walsh!" Now I was trembling! My husband was hitting me, go get your prize! My legs were wooden as I somehow made my way up. As I returned, a little lady came over to tell us something about the adoration chapel. Before she could repeat her story, I saw Fr. Tom coming out. "Okay, I got it," I said. Feeling dismissed, she stared at me, "have you made your Cursillo?" "Not yet!" I motioned for her to sit down. Just a minute. She walked across the aisle to her seat and from her purse, pulled out a pamphlet. She set it literally in my lap and I read the words "Magnificat, a Ministry to Catholic Women." That little woman is the tenacious ball of fire we all know and love; Carolyn Wright. There is so much more to this glorious story of that amazing weekend, but suffice it to say, Carolyn planted our chapter!
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| | Laurie with the Tucson Team. |
And as God would have it, 5 years later to the day, we were to have our 1st meal! Our formation process was a mix of challenges answered by simply amazing miracles at every turn. Kathy MacInnis, Carolyn Wright, Barb Serba, Kay Burkot and Donna Garlock helped, encouraged and blessed us all along the way. There is NO doubt for our team, that without each one of them, we would have given up. Each of these patient, faithful servants said in many different ways, many times and at various points, "it will be worth it." And praise God and thank you Mother Mary, IT WAS!!
And so the fun began to plan our glorious meal. We had 220 guests and among them, our most honored guests; Spiritual Advisor Fr. John Ssegawa (whom we love dearly!), Fr. Ben Onegiu, Deacon Vince Torres, his wife Vita and Sr. Margery Therese Harkin. So many other ministry leaders from our diocese also came, too many to name here, but the most thrilling was our Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares who said he'd "pop in if he could, no promises." His jam-packed schedule is planned a year out, but he not only popped in, he stayed for the entire time! This was a blessing for everyone there as he is well loved by all.
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| | Laurie Walsh, Bishop Eduardo Nevares |
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| | Barb Serba and Carolyn Wright |
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We were very excited that our first choice for speaker said yes. Barb Serba, our regional director and adopted sister, was our first speaker whom we all love to pieces! Her testimony was anointed. No other word can describe the blessings that flowed from it, in fact I'm sure that this is the reason the bishop did not leave! He too, was deeply touched! And the biggest joy of the entire weekend, was that Carolyn Wright flew out to surprise us ... and surprise us she did! We were all so thrilled to have her with us! WOW!
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| | Mary, 'Cause of our Joy' Service Team |
Many women have worked on Magnificat here over the years, mostly notably Susan Simeone, Vicki Kaehler and Barb Lightner, and a cadre of hostesses, greeters, set up and decorators. We thank them all. Lastly, I mention my dear sisters in Christ, the backbone of our chapter throughout formation and the first meal that was carried out on their tireless backs; Holly Burke, treasurer and Cathy Cato, historian. May God reward them one thousand fold! (I am sure they are already saints.) Also, big kudos go to our more recent additions to the service team, Maureen Kight whose organizational and teaching skills are truly invaluable and Dottie Kennard who never ceased praying for and promoting our Meal. In closing, I just want to say to Olga, you were right! Mary does call her own and I'm so grateful to be "part of" and a sister to all of you reading this, in the glorious work in the garden of Magnificat! Top
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In Memoriam
A beautiful Magnificat Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Ted Nekoliczak, 'went to his spiritual reward' August 28th. He helped begin the "Mary, Full of Grace" Chapter in Kearney, Nebraska and was their Spiritual Advisor until his health issues would not allow him to participate any longer. He was instrumental in starting the Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Grand Island, NE and was overjoyed when he learned of the beginning of Magnificat in New Orleans. He was truly a dedicated priest devoted to Our Lady. He never missed a Magnificat Conference! We remember him fondly from all the conferences he attended.
The Magnificat family will miss him and will pray for the repose of his soul and also for his family.
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Pope Francis in Philly; The Heart of a Pilgrim
By Laurie Walsh, Chapter Coordinator of Phoenix, Arizona
I had seen Pope Francis last year on April 23rd, just 6 feet away in St. Peter's Square & three days later at a distance for the canonization of my hero and yours, John Paul II. So when Marge Chavez, leader of our Renewal Ministries in Phoenix said she prayed for who she wanted to have go with herto Philly, and it was me, I had my doubts. She had no tickets but said, "let's go on faith." That's a chunk of change for a weekend to be jammed in with throngs, I thought to myself. But I love Marge and couldn't see her going alone so when my husband said "go", I packed. I should know by now, God is never outdone in His generosity! Little did I know my heart would be changed. Like many, I looked for Pope Francis to say things I hoped he'd say. I had my own ideas, but the Holy Spirit has plans to guide the Church.
The weekend of long lines, security barricades, swollen feet and aching back from packing holy water bottles and rosaries for blessings was what I'd expected. But slowly, some things began to happen that I did not expect. We did manage to get tickets to the event at Wells Fargo Arena for the Charismatic Renewal. The enormous arena was filled halfway to capacity. It was a glorious celebration concluding with Mass said by Cardinal Turk. At this Mass, we prayed for our families and all families. Oddly, I began crying as we prayed in the spirit. I was strangely beginning to experience a sense of hope for family members I'd given up on long ago. I believe it was the Holy Spirit gently opening my heart which was closed up as tight as a little kid's balled-up fist. What a sweet release as I prayed anew for unity and conversion and actually had hope my prayers could be answered!
The town was a maze of barricades, security fences, metal detectors and police. No transportation could get in to the perimeter, so we walked for many miles. Marge, age 73, trudged along smiling, no complaints as we stood for many hours waiting for the Pope's motorcade only to catch a glimpse of the back of his head going by. We found ourselves laughing and singing with pilgrims as we huddled in lines to get on subways or trains. Our bodies seriously ached, but we found our sense of humors were more than intact, we were in a state of pure joy!
On Sunday we met gridlock en route to the outdoor Mass on the parkway, and eventually seated ourselves with thousands on the pavement 4 blocks away. I told Marge later that we were right where Pope Francis would have wanted to be, namely sitting in the back with the ones least able to fight their way to the front. We sang, we cried and we were reminded that we are a family! I watched in awe during this Mass, as where we were, not one baby cried and no one even coughed! How could this be? It was not natural! It was supernatural. It was once again, the Holy Spirit.
The Vicar of Christ visited the U.S. not as a crusader, but as a loving father, a grandfather, really. We all watched as his kindness and gracious words touched prisoners, children and even many politicians. Imagine. Like many of us who count ourselves in the throngs of the pilgrim church on earth, we have our ideas of how the Pope should conduct himself, but it's freeing to realize that the Holy Spirit is still guiding the Church today, "lest the gates of hell prevail against it." Thank you Papa! We love you.
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Confirmed: The Body of St. Maria Goretti Will Soon Be Brought to the U.S.
It's been confirmed. The body - the major relics - of St. Maria Goretti will be coming to the USA in September and will stay until early in November. She is beloved by countless millions.
When she arrives from Italy, the first public appearance will be on Sept. 21 at Sacred Heart Basilica in Newark, N.J. - public because she will initially be visiting a prison before that. According to the latest schedule, she will tour through 25 Catholic dioceses spanning 18 states in parishes, schools, and prisons, including New York, Boston, Newark, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Orlando, and Oklahoma City.
Why the tour at this time?
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Praise Report on Magnificat Proclaims
"The genuine warm love of the Lord which Magnificat so beautifully expressed on Saturday will stay with me for a long time. Truly refreshing! Thanks for the living example of what grace can do for a soul!!!!"
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MAGNIFICAT PRAYER BOOKLET
Magnificat has been a daily companion to thousands on their spiritual journey, enriching their prayer life and helping them grow in love and knowledge of Christ and the Church.
Every subscription to this lovely Mass and prayer guide directly benefits our Ministry domestically and worldwide.
Regular Edition: first subscription $44.95; second subscription $35; and subsequent subscriptions $29; Large Print Edition: first subscription $64.95; second subscription $55; and subsequent subscriptions $49.
Magnificat
P. O. Box 822
Yonkers, NY 10702
(866) 273-5215
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Just a Reminder ... a "Printer Friendly" version of this Newsletter is available!
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