We welcome you to the webpage of Our Lady of the Lakes Chapter in Walker, MN. These are exciting times that we live in and Magnificat was begun in 1981 for such a time as this. There are now over 100 Chapters throughout the United States and its territories and in many foreign countries. Our Lady of the Lakes Chapter also has a website at www.ololmagnificat.com.

Magnificat Meal

Hosted by Our Lady of the Lakes Chapter

Saturday, June 13, 2026

All day Retreat and Dinner following meal.

Location:
St. Agnes Catholic Church
210 Division St.
Walker, MN. 56484

About Our Speaker: Re. Tom Niehaus

Fr. Tom Niehaus has been the Parish Priest at St. Mary’s Mission on the Red Lake Indian Reservation since February 1, 2025, and serving at St. Philip’s Parish in Bemidji & Newman Ministry at Bemidji State University since July 1, 2025.

He was ordained a priest in 2008 for the Diocese of Winona and is a member of the Companions of Christ a priestly fraternity of diocesan priests based out of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis. He lives in a Companions of Christ household with two other priests in Bemidji, MN.

Fr. Tom grew up in Ivanhoe, MN and is the youngest of six children. His father was an agronomist for the United States Government and his mother was an artist and stay-at-home mom. Two of his brothers became Schoenstatt priests, one sister is a Schoenstatt Sister of Mary, one sister is married with six children and another brother is living the generous single vocation. Fun things that Fr. Tom likes to do is biking, hiking, kayaking, snowmobiling, making bonfires, exploring new areas and leading pilgrimages to holy places. He really enjoys praying, singing, teaching the Catholic faith and encouraging others to become saints.

Fr. Tom has taught a fall and spring seminar on the Doctors of the Church for the past 16 years. Over the years he has also served as a spiritual director for various retreats for priests, seminarians, deacons, religious sisters and laity. He has given parish missions on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loy ola and guiding people to employ the discernment of spirits in everyday life. Please join us on June 13 for our Magnificat Meal and Retreat and to find out more about our speaker Fr. Tom Niehaus! You won’t be disappointed and remember to bring a friend!

Prayer Teams

Prayer teams are available following the meal.
Religious books and CD’s may be available at the meal.
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.

TICKETS/RESERVATIONS

Registration will be at 8:30am Saturday and meal begins at 9:00am. Registration cost is $30.00 for this event.  To make reservations, please call Lorri at 218-507-0953 or use the mail-in information below.

Tickets for priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters are complimentary.

RESERVATION FORM:
Please use this form for Mail-In Reservations ONLY.

Click on, print and complete the form below (include the names and phone numbers of other ticket holders in your group). Reservations CANNOT be accepted after May 13th,  2026

MAIL-IN REGISTRATION FORM

Please Mail Reservation Form and check payable to “Magnificat” to:
Lorri Henning
3080 20th Avenue NW
Hackensack, MN 56452-2064

For more information about our Chapter and upcoming events, go to
Our Lady of the Lakes Chapter website.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR OUR CHAPTER

Join us on our upcoming event dates.  Don’t forget to put on your calendar.

June 13, 2026, Speaker:  Father Tom Niehaus, followed by and all day retreat, registation begins at 8:30

August 15, 2026, Speaker:  Dave and Laura LaFontaine

October 3, 2026, Speaker:  Lisa Reichelt

ROSARY BLANKET OF PRAYER

Remember our chapter’s commitment to Eucharistic Adoration and to pray the Rosary on the 21st of each month for the intentions of Magnificat, Sanctity of Life, Marriage and Family, and World Peace.

SERVICE TEAM MEMBERS

Linda Reis, Coordinator
Michelle Nestler, Secretary
Jeanette Goehring, Treasurer
Lorri Henning, Historian
Annette Haas, Head of Music Ministry
Spiritual Advisor: Father George Zeck

If you would like to help with a Ministry of Magnificat, or if you have a question or comment for our Service Team, or if you would like to be on our Mailing list for future events, please contact us at walkermnmagnificat@gmail.com.

HISTORY of Our Lady of the Lakes Chapter of Magnificat

(Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota)
Est. 1992

Magnificat came to Walker, MN in 1992 through women involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. These Through much prayer for direction and discernment, the answer came at a charismatic leaders’ conference in Pittsburgh, PA, “Return to the Upper Room”, for the 25th anniversary of the Renewal. The first night of the leaders’ meetings, we were told to break into small groups and to pray for the needs of each leader. Our prayers were for direction and approval of a women’s group in the Duluth, MN diocese. Before we began to pray, a lady we had never seen or heard from before stopped and said, “You are going to begin a Magnificat and your bishop will approve it. Move quickly.”

The second affirmation came during the same conference. We were trying to meet with Marilyn Quirk, the Central Service Team Coordinator, whom we did not know, but had seen in years past speaking about Magnificat,

We prayed that we would recognize her in the large crowd and be able to meet with her. Looking over the large crowd of people, we spotted a person we thought might be Marilyn. We walked up to her and said, “Are you Marilyn Quirk?” She was! Father Jerry Lapatka, Betty Garoutte and Rosemary Ellis met with Marilyn of Friday, June 5, 1992 in a hospital cafeteria and completed the first step in starting our Magnificat chapter.

When we returned to MN and met with our women, we had a unanimous decision that Magnificat was right for us. We met with our parish priest, Father Tom Bouchard and we received his approval. Then with the help of Father Lapatka, our spiritual advisor, we received approval from the Magnificat service team and from our bishop, Roger Schweitz. We were overjoyed with his blessing and full approval. We completed all of the necessary procedures and legal matters and Our Lady of the Lakes chapter of Magnificat became a reality. Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and filled with the Holy Spirit, we went forth to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, active, alive and present to the Glory of the Father.