Responding to God’s call to serve the Church

Margaret McMahon ’17, ’20 M.Div.

Pastoral Associate, St. Francis Xavier Parish

Majors: Accounting, Theology

As a senior at Notre Dame, McMahon found herself studying the documents of the Second Vatican Council and was drawn to a particular phrase: “Thus … the laity consecrate the world itself to God.” After reading that line, she felt the Holy Spirit inspiring her to a new understanding of the role lay people play in the Church, one that viewed holiness as a universal call. Suddenly, the lay vocation felt like a true calling for McMahon, not just a “default” for those not in religious life. Turning down a lucrative offer from a Big Four public accounting firm, McMahon decided instead to enroll in Notre Dame’s Master of Divinity program upon graduation.

Shortly after completing her graduate studies in 2020, McMahon began her role as Pastoral Associate at St. Francis Xavier Church in La Grange, Illinois. In 2023 she completed her certification with the Institute for Pastoral Leadership in the Archdiocese of Chicago. As the only lay member of pastoral staff at her parish, McMahon coordinates adult faith formation, spearheads evangelization and spirituality programming, and is a leader in parish pastoral strategy in cooperation with the Archdiocesan Renew My Church initiative.

McMahon has shared her own spiritual journey with her parishioners, presenting reflections during the homily at several masses and providing a lay female voice for the St. Francis community. Most recently, McMahon has facilitated synodal listening sessions at the parish with special attention to re-thinking the leadership of women in the Church. She has also collaborated with Discerning Deacons, a group seeking to engage Catholics in the active discernment of the Church regarding women and the diaconate, in order to equip Cardinal Cupich with a report containing the personal testimonies of female leaders in the Church as he travels to Rome this October for the Synod.

In addition to her role as pastoral associate, McMahon is a licensed Fertility Care Practitioner in the Creighton Method and founded the St. Rita Fertility Care Center in La Grange. McMahon independently operates the Center and focuses on couples struggling with infertility and/or preparing for marriage, offering them valuable and life-affirming options.

McMahon’s primary vocation is her role as a wife and mother, believing that evangelization begins inside the home. She recently delivered her third child, David, who joins siblings Joan (2) and Peter (3). Her husband, Patrick ’17, ’18 MSA, is also a Double Domer.