Georgia Bulletin

The Newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta

Lilburn

Michelle Benzinger, Martha Gaynoe Share Magnificat Talk In August

Published July 20, 2006

A daughter and mother, Michelle Benzinger and Martha Gaynoe, will speak about God’s faithfulness to families at the Catholic ministry to women known as Magnificat on Saturday, Aug. 12.

All women are invited to the Magnificat breakfast, which will be held at Killian Hall, 908 Killian Hill Road, Lilburn. In the spirit of the friendship between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, the Magnificat meal brings women together for a morning of fellowship, a time of prayer, praise and worship, and a speaker’s sharing of God’s great work in her life.

Magnificat is an international Catholic ministry that began in the Archdiocese of New Orleans with local chapters. The Atlanta Joyful Visitation Chapter has hosted quarterly Magnificat meals since 1992.

Michelle Benzinger is a national Catholic speaker for women and youth, and she and her husband Chris have served in long-term missions in Austria and Mexico and short-term missions in Honduras and Jamaica. They now live at the LIFE TEEN Covecrest youth camp and retreat center in Tiger, Ga., with their three young sons, where they are part of the mission staff hosting youth gatherings and retreats and developing the vision for Covecrest.

Her mother, Martha Gaynoe, is the director of faith formation for Mustard Seed Communities, a Catholic outreach in the Caribbean and Nicaragua serving poor, abandoned and physically disabled children, which provides mission opportunities to people in the United States. She has taught and served as campus minister at St. Pius X High School in Atlanta and as director of religious education at St. Ann Church in Gulf Breeze, Fla. She is serving as regional coordinator for Steubenville Atlanta, a high school youth conference sponsored by Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, and hosted by LIFE TEEN. She is the mother of four young adult children and holds a master’s degree in religious education and certification in spiritual direction.

The Magnificat will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets at $10 apiece can be obtained by mail. Seating is limited and tickets are not sold at the door. In addition to the meal, which is served by the Columbiettes at Killian Hall, there is a music ministry and time for intercessory prayer. The sacrament of reconciliation is available following the meal.

Since the day is designed to speak to the hearts of women free of distractions it is respectfully requested that young children not be in attendance.

To obtain tickets, send name, address, parish, telephone number and the number of tickets needed, along with a check payable to Magnificat Joyful Visitation, and send to Lynda Cupell, 2140 Briarwillow Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30345. Please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the tickets to be sent to you. Ticket requests must be postmarked by Aug. 2.

Priests and Religious are invited to attend the breakfast on a complimentary basis, but reservations are still requested.

For information about tickets please contact Lynda Cupell at (404) 634-8303.