ATLANTA—All women are invited to the Magnificat gathering on Saturday, May 7, when the guest speaker will be Maria Boylan, coordinator of the newly formed Magnificat chapter in South Carolina.

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Maria grew up in Canada, where her family emigrated when she was a child. Now she and her husband and three sons have lived in the United States for the last 14 years, most recently in Greenville, South Carolina, where she teaches fourth grade at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School.

Raised in a loving home, she was taught the Catholic faith and embraced it. In her final year of college, she and her siblings relied on their faith and God’s strength and provision when their parents were victims of a violent attack. By God’s grace, they were able to forgive their parents’ attacker.

She has experienced God’s grace also in answering her years of prayer to heal her infertility and in clarifying indecision about her vocation and how to find God’s will for her life. She is joyful to share with others her experiences in daily life and in crisis where God has provided answers to prayer through good mentors, inspirations from the Holy Spirit and spiritual guidance.

The May 7 Magnificat, coming just a week before Pentecost Sunday, will be an opportunity for women to be renewed and refreshed in the Holy Spirit just at the culmination of the 50 days of Easter.

The Magnificat meal is held at Holy Cross Church, 3773 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 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.

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.

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.

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 May 1. 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 just outside the perimeter, less than a mile from the Chamblee Tucker Road exit on Interstate 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.