Welcome to the Mother Mary Morning Star Chapter webpage serving the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Magnificat Ministry began in 1981 by a group of Catholic women from the Archdiocese of New Orleans who wanted to create a way for Catholic women to share their faith in a relaxed social setting. The Magnificat Ministry has grown to 105 Chapters world-wide. The Mother Mary Morning Star chapter was started in 2020 after two women were brought together at a Magnificat conference, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to start a chapter in North Carolina. Although St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Clayton was the founding place of our Chapter, we use our chapter Marian name, Mother Mary Morning Star, to represent that we serve all Catholic women in the Diocese of Raleigh. We are a ministry of Catholic women seeking to grow in faith through ministering and extending hospitality to other women, inspired by Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45).
Magnificat Meal
Hosted by the Mother Mary Morning Star Chapter
September 12, 2026
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
(Lunch will be served at 11:30 am)
St. Joseph Catholic Church
St. Monica Hall
2811 Poole Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610
Our Guest Speaker: Veronica Clark
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior” (Luke 1:46)”
Veronica Clark is a teacher and preschool director, but primarily, she’s a thankful catholic pilgrim. She loves Jesus above all, and has had a strong Marian devotion since childhood, stemming from the first prayer she learned and continues to recite to this day, every day, at all times. Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). She was born in Mexico, where she fell in love with teaching, but later attended law school and worked for the Mexican government. She moved to the United States in 1998, after marrying her husband, Mike. In the USA, she worked for Nokia, and NEC Corporate Latin American Legal Divisions. She has one adult son, Michael Santiago, to whom she owes the joy of going back to the preschool classroom, and to teaching again. She has been a parishioner of St. Andrew the Apostle in Apex since 2007. An avid volunteer and advocate, she served many years as vice president of the Wake County PTA Council and as a catechist at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church programs. Everything she does is an expression of gratitude for all God has lavished on her; most significantly, forgiveness and merciful love, which is what matters most to her in life. Deeply in love and committed to the One Catholic Church, she is active in parish life, and various Apostolates: Of The Cross, and Holy Spirit, Garabandal, of the Vocational Cross, the Guilds of St. Veronica, and of The Holy Face. She is deeply devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe and her privileged connection to Mexico. She is also a member of the Columbiettes and serves as Speakers’ Coordinator for the Ignited By Truth Catholic Conference leadership team where she serves as the Conference Speaker Coordinator. Her life motto is, “Yes, Father, Your Will Be Done.”
♥ Prayer Teams are available after the meal for personal prayer.
Tickets & Reservations
PLEASE request your tickets by 9/9/26
You may use PayPal, Credit Card, or Debit Card
Mail-In Registration is also available for $25 per ticket. You can download and print the form by clicking below.
Click here to print your Mail-In Registration form
Please make checks payable to Magnificat Clayton and mail to Peggy Morgan, 182 Flowers Crest Way, Clayton, NC, 27527
Love Magnificat? Want to get more involved?
-
Communications Chair – Coordinates emails, flyers, and simple marketing.
-
Decorations Chair – Lead a small team in setting up for the meal
-
AV Chair – Runs PowerPoint Slides
-
Greeters – Welcoming others to our Magnificat Meals upon arrival
-
Parish Liaisons – Working with your parish to publish Magnificat Meal information in bulletins and share about Magnificat
Please email the Chapter email or contact any member of the Chapter Service Team for more information on these positions.
Service Team Members
Delia Smith, Coordinator………………….. (919) 889-2875
Leah Lehman, Asst. Coord………………. (919) 455-0146
Vita Napoli, Secretary………………………. (516) 316-7854
Peggy Morgan, Treasurer ………………… (309) 339-9725
Laura Bardascino, Historian….………….. (916) 529-2116
Spiritual Advisor: Father Lourduraj Alapaty
Email Us At: Mothermarymorningstarnc@gmail.com
Upcoming Meals in 2026
- December 7th, 2026, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, Spiritual Evening of Enrichment and Potluck
- 2027 calendar coming soon.
Rosary Blanket of Prayer
Remember our chapter’s commitment to Eucharistic Adoration and to pray the Rosary on the 24th of each month at 7 PM for the intentions of Magnificat, Sanctity of Life, Marriage and Family, and World Peace. To join us, you can download a free version of Microsoft Teams to your device.
Our Prayer Groups
Is God calling you to be in a Prayer Group? Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in their midst.” If you are called to starting a Magnificat prayer group, please contact us at mothermarymorningstarnc@gmail.com
History of the Mother Mary Morning Star Chapter
We are the first Magnificat Chapter in North Carolina and in the Diocese of Raleigh.
The journey to establishing this Magnificat Chapter started when our founding Coordinator, Maria Jones, heard about the Magnificat Ministry at a Catholic Charismatic Conference in NC. Little did she know that the Holy Spirit was planting a seed in her heart to begin a Chapter in North Carolina. In late 2014, while in prayer, the Lord spoke to Maria’s heart that he wanted her to work in women’s ministry. She said, “Yes, Lord, but what do you want me to do?” Magnificat is what she heard. After contacting the Central office and inquiring about the process, the discernment process began. In 2015, Maria attended the Magnificat Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. At this conference, she met Cecilia Soporowska, who was also looking for a new Magnificat home in North Carolina. Cecilia, a member of Magnificat since 2008 in New York, would go on to become the Assistant Coordinator, and the two Sisters in Christ set off on the Chapter Formation journey. Through many prayers, perseverance, and dedication, Mother Mary Morning Star became a licensed Chapter on July 1, 2020. The founding chapter service team included Maria Jones (Coordinator), Cecilia Soporowska (Assistant Coordinator), Peggy Morgan (Treasurer), and Vita Napoli (Secretary).
