ATLANTA—Maureen Smith, who is the chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, will be the next speaker for the Magnificat Meal to be held on Nov. 15. 

All women are invited to attend the Magnificat meal at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Atlanta chapter of Magnificat hosts the meal, including breakfast, a time of praise and worship with music and the speaker’s testimony. 

Maureen Smith

The international Catholic women’s ministry is inspired by the joyful meeting of Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, related in the Gospel of St. Luke. 

Smith is the very rare Atlanta native, born and raised ITP (inside the perimeter) in a Victorian home her parents restored from absolute ruin in Inman Park. Her father, Wayne Smith, was the permanent deacon at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus downtown for 25 years. Her mother, Pat Smith, worked alongside him preparing hundreds of children and adults for first holy Communion, confirmation and marriage.  

Smith attended St. Thomas More School in Decatur when the School Sisters of Notre Dame were still lovingly tending to the students there. She well remembers Sister Rita, who could be a bit strict, and Sister Rose, who is probably an unrecognized saint. She then attended St. Pius X High School and graduated from Jesuit-founded Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. She has an undergraduate degree in communications and theology and a master’s in theology.  

She first started working for the Catholic Church in Jackson, Mississippi, when she took a job as a reporter for the newspaper, Mississippi Catholic. When she left, she was the editor and director of communications. She joyfully covered the opening of the cause for canonization for Sister Thea Bowman, FSP, and mourned with the community of Durant when two Catholic sisters serving there were murdered in their home. Six years ago, she returned home to Atlanta and is now the chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. She and her husband, Jeff Amy, have two daughters. 

Smith loves a good story, from Scripture and legend to the tales she joyfully collects as she encounters people around her. She has always wanted to be a storyteller in one way or another. Her college study of Scripture and early church theologians awoke in her a new way to explore and deepen her faith.  

Her work as a journalist and then communications director has affirmed her conviction that stories have the power to heal, unite, inspire, spark forgiveness and, most importantly, convey the whisper of the Holy Spirit into our lives. If you would like to listen, she would love to tell you about her family, her work, her dog and her accidental garden pumpkin.  

The Magnificat ministry began in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and has spread throughout the world. Chapters are under the guidance of the local bishop. The Atlanta Joyful Visitation Chapter has been active since 1992. The purpose is to help women open 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. 

Advance reservations for the gathering are required and can be made online or through the mail. The cost is $25 per person. No tickets are sent. Check-in is at the door for those with reservations only. 

To register online, visit https://tinyurl.com/2505NovMeal. Those who have provided contact information to the ministry will receive an email invitation. To be added to that list, send a request to joyfulvisitation@gmail.com. 

To register by mail, please send your name, address, parish if applicable, contact information, and a check made payable to Magnificat Joyful Visitation to Debbie DuPont, 315 Rose Court, SW, Lilburn, GA 30047. Seating is limited. Online registration closes Nov. 5. Mailed reservations must be postmarked by Nov. 1. 

The doors open early. Guests are encouraged to arrive by 9 a.m. Holy Cross is located at 3773 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, less than a mile from the Chamblee Tucker Road exit on Interstate 285. 

Priests and religious are invited to attend free of charge; reservations are still 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 attend. 

For information, contact Debbie at 770-696-6216.