ATLANTA—All women are invited to the Magnificat gathering in February when the guest speaker will be Arlene Walrath.

The Magnificat meal will be held at Holy Cross Church in Atlanta on Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The warmth of the gathering will touch hearts on this winter morning, and the faith journey of the guest speaker will be a natural transition from the recent Christmas season to the beginning of Lent and the promise of Easter.

Arlene Walrath

In 1980 Arlene Nicpon Walrath and her late husband, Clarence, were part of the leaders’ team forming the Emmanuel Prayer Group, after first having experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Decatur.

The Scripture verse that formed the prayer group was from Matthew’s Gospel, which says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God is with us.’”

It was a time of great faith as the Emmanuel Prayer Group grew from combining prayer groups meeting at St. Jude Church and All Saints Church.

Then the death of Arlene’s husband at age 41 left her with two teenaged children and a business to run with a business partner. Only God’s faithful love and her childhood upbringing carried her through the many challenges that followed: making decisions and seeking guidance as a single mom and being a fair employer, developing and listening to the company’s leadership team, and serving customers through the mountains and valleys every business experiences.

The message of Emmanuel—the incredible knowledge of God coming alive to save us, and sustain each of us in every breath we breathe, is the overwhelming and mind-boggling concept that starts Arlene’s morning prayer each day.

Eucharist and a contemplative prayer life have not only sustained her, but have brought much freedom, joy, hope and laughter to her life—all to be shared at the Magnificat breakfast.

Magnificat, an international Catholic women’s ministry, is a private association of the faithful with chapters formed with the approval of the local bishop. Its purpose is to help Catholic women to open more and more to the Holy Spirit through a deeper commitment of their lives to Jesus as Lord and to impart the Holy Spirit to one another by their love, service and sharing the good news of salvation.

The Joyful Visitation chapter in Atlanta hosts Magnificat meals four times a year.

In their very busy schedules, this is a morning when women come together to share a meal and to be immersed in the graces only God can provide. The morning includes a catered breakfast, intercessory prayer, and praise and worship led by the music ministry. The sacrament of reconciliation and the opportunity for individual prayer are available after the meal.

Reservations are $15 apiece and have to be made in advance. To register, please send your name, address, parish, contact information and a check made payable to Magnificat Joyful Visitation to Jo Ann Rademacher, 1260 Mountain Ivey Court, Sugar Hill, GA 30518. Reservations must be postmarked by Feb. 13. No tickets will be returned. Check-in will be at the door for those with reservations only.

Priests and religious are invited to attend free of charge, but reservations are requested to plan for the meal. Since the morning is designed to speak to the hearts of women free of distractions, it is respectfully requested that young children not be in attendance.

Doors open early. Guests are encouraged to arrive by 9 a.m. Holy Cross Church is located at 3773 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, just outside the perimeter, less than a mile from the Chamblee Tucker Road exit on I-285.

For more information, please contact Jo Ann Rademacher at 770-831-0693.

To receive an invitation to this or future Magnificat meals by email, please send a request to joyfulvisitation@gmail.com.