LINCOLN (SNR) – The Diocese of Lincoln’s Family Life Office will host a one-day retreat for couples or individual spouses experiencing infertility May 1.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the John XXIII Diocesan Center, 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln. Participants may also join in the retreat online.
The retreat will encourage and explore what it means to be “open to life” as a couple with infertility, and how couples can be unified and grow in love of each other and the Lord while experiencing this hardship. It will not focus on medical solutions to infertility, but will instead focus on how infertility impacts a couple spiritually and emotionally and how Jesus, and his Church, desires to be with those carrying this cross.
Father Tim Danek, associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Nebraska City, will be the main speaker for the retreat. Dr. Alex Marcotte, a therapist and co-founder of Sacred Ground Psychotherapy, will discuss how men and women experience infertility differently and how to become more unified as a couple in this circumstance. Josh and Nikki Shasserre of Lincoln will also talk about their experience with infertility in their marriage.
Mass and brunch will be offered at the retreat, as well as time for individual prayer with adoration, confession, and intercessory prayer teams available. There will also be time for the couples to have discussions on their own.
Julie Stevens, who went on the inaugural retreat two years ago, said she appreciated the opportunity to have deep conversations with her spouse about communication styles and how to incorporate those styles in daily life.
“We enjoyed the opportunity to come together as a couple and gather tools to help us not only cope with our difficult situation, but... thrive in whatever plan God had in mind for us,” she said.
She added that she came away from the retreat “feeling empowered in my marriage and that we had the support of the Church as we continued forward. We finally saw that we were not alone.”
The cost for the retreat is $60 per couple or $35 per individual attending in person, and $15 for those attending virtually. A complete schedule and registration can be found at https://lincolndiocese.regfox.com/ifretreat. E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or for more information.
