Women planning Magnificat group

More than 20 years ago, about 200 Catholic women packed a church hall in New Orleans for a prayer breakfast.

The resulting ministry -- Magnificat -- has spread to 42 dioceses in the U. S. A core team is now meeting once a month to pray and make plans for the implementation of the women's lay ministry in the Albany Diocese.

The purpose of Magnificat, which is associated with the Catholic charismatic renewal, is to help women develop and nourish their faith through healing, testimony, Scripture study and fellowship.

For women

"I feel there is a real need for woman-to-woman ministry," said Marie Grigaitis, a parishioner of St. Edward the Confessor parish in Clifton Park. "Mary visited Elizabeth and shared the Good News with her. I feel that's something that women need to do for one another today."

The center of the ministry is the Magnificat meal, a periodic prayer breakfast or luncheon that incorporates fellowship, testimony, worship and healing prayer.

At the breakfasts, women listen to a speaker who "has had a very climactic experience with God in their life," explained Ruth Lapierre, a parishioner at St. Ambrose Church in Latham.

Impressions

The core team is developing plans for the first meal and other possible ministries, including Bible study, the coordinators said. Over the past year, the team has traveled to Rochester and Buffalo to attend Magnificat breakfasts in those dioceses.

Mrs. Lapierre was "tremendously impressed" with the ministry and the way the meeting affected the women in attendance. They spoke with Magnificat's central office and talked with women in the Albany Diocese to ask what they wanted.

"It's an easy way for women to come together in a social atmosphere, to relax and to enjoy themselves, to hear the testimony of women who have overcome many of the struggles that women go through, and to learn how they grew closer to God," Mrs. Grigaitis said of her experience at a breakfast. "It is a real, powerful experience of the Holy Spirit, and is a place for women to talk about God and feel comfortable with that."

Added Mrs. Lapierre: "It was like God was saying, 'Move with it.'"

Members of Magnificat are encouraged to pray, to pursue Catholic devotions and services, and to assist other women in understanding their faith.

"There is a hunger out there in the hearts of women to grow in holiness, and that's encouraging," said Mrs. Grigaitis.

(6/2/05)