The Magdalene Community met for its first formal worship service on Sunday, September 11, 2005, continued meeting weekly through December, 2012 and then quarterly until 2014. The Community has continued to maintain a Facebook presence in a group. The Community naturally emerged following a series of book studies of the Gospel of Mary as participants hungered to continue to meet and learn more about the Magdalene. 

The first book study was led by Rev. Betty Adam and Pam Stockton in early 2004 in preparation for the Mary Magdalene Feast Day Service, featuring Dr. Karen King, on July 25, 2004. That service drew nearly 400, due, in part, to the release and curiosity about the subject matter of Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, the previous year. The study group continued to meet for another year, using as texts several versions and translations of the Gospel of Mary.  The group came to feel the need to meet for more regular times for worship and study and the Magdalene Community was born. 

The Magdalene Community continued to co-sponsor the  Magdalene Feast Day services with Brigid’s Place featuring other nationally renowned and leading authorities including  Dr. Jane Schaberg in 2005, Ann Graham Brock in 2006, and Dr. April DeConick in 2007 and has partici-pated in all feast days since. 

Sunday services for the Magdalene Community, although varied, usually consisted of readings from a variety of sources, embracing sacred texts from Christian and non-Christian traditions  as well as from the Gospel of Mary, discussions, music, and meditation. The community  met at the Rothko Chapel for the first several years, then at Christ Church Cathedral.  The group sat in a circle, and the services were led by members in turn. Ours is an inclusive community and the voice of each member is welcomed and valued.

We are now revitalizing the Community and invite you to join us. For more information and to receive announcements of services, please contact Bridgitt Dickey at bridgittdick-ey@sbcglobal.net or 713-492-4807.