Father Timothy Gallagher says that Mary, the Mother of God, has been vital in his spiritual life, bringing him back to the Catholic Church when he wandered away and then helping him to hear and embrace his vocation to the priesthood.

“If it weren’t for Mary, I would have never been able to embrace the mystery of the Church; if it weren’t for Mary, I would have never been able to hear the call of Christ; if it weren’t for Mary, I would have never been able to say ‘yes’ to my vocation and God’s will for my life,” said Father Gallagher, who was ordained in 2009.

This will be in his testimony as he speaks on Saturday morning, Feb. 20, at the Magnificat breakfast. All women are invited to the meal, which will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Killian Hall, 908 Killian Hill Road in Lilburn. Magnificat is an international ministry to Catholic women.

Father Gallagher was raised in Madison in a family of six children, the son of a Roman Catholic father and a Southern Baptist mother, and after serving in the Army earned a degree as a physical therapist and enjoyed working to restore the physical health of those in his care. He entered the seminary in 2002 and was ordained a priest of the Atlanta Archdiocese by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory last June. He currently is serving as a parochial vicar at St. Pius X Church in Conyers.

In this Year for Priests, Father Gallagher will give a testimony of his experience growing up Catholic in a non-Catholic world, how Mary brought him back into the Church after he left, and how when he returned and embraced the fullness of the faith, he began to hear the call to the priesthood. At critical moments, he says, Mary played a key role in guiding him, through the rosary and through a total consecration, which led ultimately to his commitment to celibacy and priestly service.

Inspired by the words of Mary’s Magnificat, the Magnificat ministry offers women a morning to meet with other women and grow in faith in the spirit of the friendship between Mary and Elizabeth. The gathering includes a music ministry, intercessory prayer, socializing and sharing faith, and the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, as well as the speaker’s testimony. The Atlanta Joyful Visitation chapter of Magnificat has been hosting quarterly breakfasts for women for over 15 years.

The cost is $10 per person and reservations must be made in advance. Send the name, address, contact number and parish of those attending, number of reservations, and check payable to Magnificat Joyful Visitation to Lynda Cupell, 2140 Briarwillow Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30345. No ticket is sent. Check-in will be at the door the day of the breakfast for those with reservations. Seating is limited. Requests must be received by Feb. 13. Priests and religious are complimentary, but reservations are still requested for planning purposes.

Those attending are encouraged to carpool and to arrive by 9 a.m. Childcare is not available. 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.