We welcome you to the webpage of the Joyful Visitation Chapter of Magnificat in Atlanta, Georgia. These are exciting times that we live in and Magnificat was begun in 1981 for such a time as this. There are now over 70 chapters throughout the United States and its territories and in many foreign countries.
Magnificat Meal
Hosted by the Joyful Visitation Chapter
Saturday, August 22, 2026
9:30 am–12:30 pm
Limited seating, please register early.
Event Location:
Holy Cross Catholic Church
Social Hall
3773 Chamblee Tucker Road
Atlanta, GA 30341
Our Guest Speaker: Monica Donohue
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths..” Prov. 3:5-6
Monica Donohue, who had a profound conversion experience at age 31, is a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Decatur, Georgia.
Monica was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the early 1950’s, the third of four children. She grew up with devout parents and a large extended Catholic family in a Catholic neighborhood. Her parents loved the Lord and Our Lady, and modeled the practice of the faith for their children.
She attended Catholic School from 1st grade through High School except for grades 6 and 7. After graduating from a very small all girls’ High School with 69 students in her Senior class, she attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, which had 35,000 students. The challenge of this change pulled Donohue into a very secular environment where she temporarily left behind her Catholic values.
With a failed marriage by the age of 23, the relocation of her parents from Wisconsin to South Carolina and the death of her mother, her early twenties were tumultuous. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and later received a Master’s in Nursing from the University of South Carolina. This allowed her to discover her two professional passions, teaching and caring for the poor and vulnerable in a community setting.
At the end of her twenties, she was blessed to meet and marry the love of her life, Jeffrey Donohue. They had three children together, Erin, Shannon and Patrick, and were married for thirty-two years.
At the age of 31, Donohue experienced a profound conversion which changed her life. She was infused with the Holy Spirit and was gifted with an intimate relationship with Jesus. As He made straight her paths, she began to follow him ever more closely. Through marriage, parenting, her nursing profession, a lifetime commitment as a Lay Cistercian of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, along with various ministries within Magnificat, and more recently with the Encounter School of Ministry, God has taken her by the hand to teach her to know him, to love him, to serve him and to trust him with all her heart.
RESERVATIONS
Reservations are $25 and are required in advance. Seating is limited. Register online by August 12 at https://tinyurl.com/2608Meal. You can register online and mail your check. See below.
Mail-In registrations must be postmarked by August 8. To register by mail, send the Mail-In Reservation Form and a check or money order for $25 per person payable to “Magnificat Joyful Visitation” to:
Magnificat Ministry
Debbie DuPont
315 Rose Ct SW
Lilburn, Ga. 30047
Phone: 770-696-6216
The Meal will be interpreted for the Deaf. Personal Prayer ministry is offered after the meal by the Magnificat Service Team.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation, when a priest is available, will be offered at the end of the meal.
After the program, religious items will be available for purchase. CDs and links to the testimonies of former speakers are also 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.
Upcoming Meals for Our Chapter
2026
Saturday, August 22 – Monica Donohue
Saturday, November 14 – Lauretta Hannon
2027
Saturday, February 27
Saturday, May 22 – Mary Cowan
Saturday, August 21
Saturday, November 13
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Seven Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m., August 6 to September 17, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Atlanta. For more information and to register, email joyfulvisitation@gmail.com.
Rosary Blanket of Prayer
Remember our chapter’s commitment to Eucharistic Adoration and to pray the Rosary on the 17th of each month for the intentions of Magnificat, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and world peace.
Service Team Members
Donna Brisse, Coordinator
Monica Donohue, Assistant Coordinator
Cheryl Bryant, Secretary
Jo Ann Rademacher, Treasurer
Kathy Byrne, Historian
Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Joseph Mullakkara, MSFS
If you would like to help with a Ministry of Magnificat, have a question or comment for our Service Team, or you would like to be on our mailing list for future events, please contact joyfulvisitation@gmail.com.
Follow us on Facebook and visit often for updates! facebook.com/magnificat.joyful. You may visit our page without logging in to Facebook.
History of Joyful Visitation Chapter of Magnificat
(for the Archdiocese of Atlanta)
Olga Myers attended her first Magnificat Breakfast while visiting her sister in Tampa, Florida in 1990. She returned to her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia filled with zeal and joy. After sharing her experience with two other women, Jan Nerone and Elyse O’Kane, they began to pray and pray and pray for discernment of God’s will in bringing Magnificat to Atlanta.
After going through formation and receiving the approval of the local bishop, the first working meeting was held on June 17, 1991. This was followed by a Presentation Tea on February 8, 1992 to introduce Magnificat Joyful Visitation Chapter to the area and to help others discover how they could be a part of this joyful ministry.
The first Magnificat Breakfast was held on May 2, 1992 at All Saints Catholic Church. The speaker was Mary Welch Rogers and over 400 women attended. The first Service Team members were Olga Myers, Jan Nerone, Ann Marie Hendriks and Judy Guilfoil. Fr. William Hickey was their Spiritual Advisor and Elyse O’Kane was placed in charge of the Music Ministry.
Last Updated on July 12, 2026.
