Rosie Garcia-Carreras, a native of Cuba who has lived in the United States since 1960 and is active in the Cursillo and the eucharistic renewal movements, as well as pro-life activities, will be the speaker for the Magnificat breakfast on May 1.

She and her husband, Evelio, a permanent deacon, have four children and five grandchildren. Married at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, in 1968, they are founding members of St. Stephen the Martyr Church, Lilburn.

“From early childhood I have had great devotion to Our Blessed Mother, always finding strength and consolation in the rosary and meditating on the mysteries. She always guided me to her son and most especially to seek him in the Eucharist. In my vocation as a wife and mother, Mary has always inspired me with her example of the most gentle mother, wife, and Christian,” she said.

One of 14 children, her family escaped from Cuba after Castro took power, beginning their life again from scratch in Washington, D.C.

She has been active in the Cursillo movement of the archdiocese, both in English and in Spanish, since 1972, and she has been part of the pro-life movement since the beginning of the struggle to defend life. She has been a member of the Life in the Eucharist seminar teams in the archdiocese and a volunteer guardian in perpetual adoration chapels.

The Magnificat breakfast is from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, at Killian Hall, 908 Killian Hill Road, Lilburn. This ministry to Catholic women brings women together quarterly for a morning of prayer and praise, fellowship and a meal with one another, and the opportunity to hear a speaker give her “Magnificat,” her story of God’s presence in her life. The ministry is modeled upon the friendship between Mary and Elizabeth, who helped one another to grow in faith and shared their experiences of God’s mercy and power in their lives. The sacrament of reconciliation is available afterward.

Tickets to the breakfast are $5 apiece and can be obtained by sending your name, address, parish, and phone number, and number of tickets requested, along with a stamped, self-addressed return envelope and a check payable to Magnificat, to Lynda Cupell, 2140 Briarwillow Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30345. Tickets for clergy and Religious are complimentary, but reservations are still requested in order to plan for the breakfast. The meal is prepared and served by the Columbiettes.

At this time child care is not available and it is respectfully requested that children not be in attendance in order for the women attending to listen to the program free of distractions.

For more information about obtaining tickets, please call Cupell at (404) 634-8303. Tickets are on sale through April 23. No tickets are sold at the door.