Photo by Julianna Leopold

ATLANTA—Praying the rosary and light exercise are uniquely integrated into a ministry that aims to draw people closer to the Blessed Mother Mary while moving their bodies. 

SoulCore classes are offered at several parishes and locations in metro Atlanta by trained leaders who are part of a nationwide ministry founded by two women near Indianapolis. Leaders and class participants find that the class nurtures a connectedness between their mind, body and spirit. 

“I get to pray and move at the same time. For me, that’s the perfect combination,” said Veronica McElprang, a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church who attended a recent class at the church. “I’m not the type of person who can sit down in prayer for a long time, so this really meets me.” 

Mary Pat Martin began the ministry at IHM this fall after being introduced to it by Jamie Arion, a SoulCore leader at Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City. Martin had never taught an exercise class before, but as a marathon runner she was looking for a new way to be involved in her faith while her husband was in formation for the permanent diaconate. She has also taught SoulCore at St. Pius X High School. 

Ann Bornhorst lifts weights during the SoulCore class at St. Peter Chanel Church with the rosary displayed in the middle of the room. SoulCore is a combination of effort and surrender, incorporating prayer, movement, Scripture, rest, reflection and silence. Photo by Julianna Leopold

At Martin’s class in early November, she led participants through the rosary. They did push-ups during the Our Fathers and exercises like arm circles, lunges, squats, bicep curls, sit ups and stretching during the Hail Mary prayers. For each meditation on Scripture, the class lay prostrate on the ground in a resting position. Participants pray silently while the leader prays aloud. 

“I like that I can give the discomfort of the exercises up for whoever I am praying for,” Martin said. 

Arion teaches her class on the first and third Fridays of the month at Holy Trinity, and she also streams a class online. SoulCore is open to any age and ability because the exercises can be easily modified, she said. 

“Most people in class have prayed the rosary before but they are finding a new way to experience it,” Arion said. “A lot of them say it’s their favorite part of the day and week because they get to connect their spiritual health to their physical health.” 

Arion was in the fitness industry before she began teaching SoulCore in 2018 while her husband, like Martin’s, was studying for the permanent diaconate. As a class leader, planning the prayers and exercises has deepened her spiritual life. She draws on lessons she hears in homilies and tries to be attuned to what the Blessed Mother is saying to her. 

 The program’s roots 

SoulCore was founded in 2014 by Colleen Scariano and Deanne Miller following the tragic deaths of Scariano’s mother, father and brother within two months. Grief was taking a physical toll on her body and as a busy mother, she was finding it difficult to fit prayer and exercise into her day. 

“I started praying the rosary when I ran, and it was the most beautiful time of prayer for me,” she said. “I was breathing heavily so I couldn’t say the prayers out loud but that allowed me to think and meditate more on the prayers.” 

When Scariano returned from a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, she was searching for the Blessed Mother’s mission for her, and at the same time, a friend recommended core exercises to help with chronic back pain. The idea for SoulCore was born, and she worked with Miller to build the ministry. 

“We gave God a little ‘yes,’ and he has taken it beyond what we could imagine,” Scariano said. 

There are 250 trained SoulCore leaders across the United States. Classes are taught in nine countries, and virtual options are also offered. Most classes are held in parishes, but they also take place outdoors and at homes, dance studios, doctor’s offices and retreat houses. 

SoulCore classes, centered around praying the rosary, are offered at several parishes and locations in metro Atlanta by trained leaders who are part of a nationwide ministry founded by two women. Photo by Meg Butler

Joanie Gross, who also attended class at Immaculate Heart of Mary, prays the rosary most days and regularly exercises. Doing both at the same time drew her into communion with other people, she said. She joined with the class praying the sorrowful mysteries and offering it for souls in purgatory. 

“With each intention, I could think about a person and pray a decade for those intentions,” Gross said. “When I’m moving my body, my mind tends to not wander so I find it much easier to stay in the prayer.” 

SoulCore is offered regularly at Holy Spirit, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Peter Chanel, St. Catherine of Siena, and Holy Trinity churches. It was recently offered at Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center. In March, Heritage retreat center will host two-day SoulCore retreats during the Feast of the Annunciation and Palm Sunday weekend.