“The first breakfast (in 1997) was in our parish hall and it was the last time because it was too small. We had 130 women attend that one,” said Antoniette Pace, a member of the Magnificat planning committee based out of St. Benedict’s parish. 

She said they might have to consider breaking up the group because they will soon surpass the limit of people allowed in banquet halls.

Magnificat was started by Catholic women in the archdiocese of New Orleans as an opportunity for faith-sharing in a relaxed social setting. It was born out of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and reflects that spirit here in Toronto. 

The Magnificat breakfast is held bi-annually and consists of praise and worship music, a breakfast in a relaxed social setting and a personal testimony followed by the opportunity for guests to stay and have fellow women pray with them and/or to see a priest for the sacrament of Reconciliation. The breakfast is Magnificat’s only outreach because its goal is not to replace other movements or parish ministries, but reinforce them.

“One of the purposes is to serve as a point of unity among women and to get energized to go back to their parishes and ministries,” Pace said.

She said it serves as a spiritual gas station for many women in the archdiocese. Hearing personal testimonies from other women touches everyone more deeply than hearing a sermon or a lecture, and helps them reflect on their own lives and how they’ve dealt with situations.

This year, the breakfast featured its first male speaker. Deacon Tom Pillisch, a retired prison chaplain, spoke about destiny, drawing on his own life experiences as a Holocaust survivor who was baptized Catholic and discovered the profundity of his faith as an adult in Canada.

“It can only be our destiny if we allow God to move us,” Pillisch told the crowd.

Pace said she felt that Pillisch’s dynamic presentation would resonate with the crowd just as well as past testimonies.

“Since many of us know Deacon Tom from his preaching at our local churches, we knew that he would be well received,” she said.

Carmela Acri, a parishioner of St. Benedict’s for 28 years, has been involved in the breakfast since 1998. She said the ministry has offered her a way of connecting with Mother Mary and also hearing speakers articulate what she felt inside.

“It’s not that it changes you but it strengthens what you have,” Acri said.

Susan Hookong-Taylor, who provided the worship music with Ana DaCosta, said gathering to pray, laugh and sing together provides a lot of healing to women.

“I think there’s a really strong community here,” she said.

The breakfast has begun drawing younger faces in the past two years. Celestina Annarilli, 16, said of her recent experience attending the breakfasts, “They give you a different perspective. They speak of challenges and give you an idea of how you can overcome challenges yourself.”

Annarilli said it also helped her to make new contacts and she has since become involved with the chaplaincy group at her school as well as The Edge program, a ministry for middle school kids where she now volunteers.

Celina Cercone, 14, who has attended three breakfasts now, said it has helped her to connect with women of the parish.

“It’s nice meeting new people and the talks were very inspirational,” Cercone said.

For more information about Magnificat, call Pace at St. Benedict’s parish at (416) 743-3830 ext. 4.