LINCOLN (SNR) – The Family Life Office will host a one-day retreat for moms of young children June 26 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly. It will also be live streamed.
The cost is $65 for the in-person retreat, and a donation of $25 is suggested for those joining virtually.
Father Benjamin Holdren, pastor of St. Peter Parish in Bellwood, will lead the retreat. The event is a one-day, baby-friendly retreat focused on some of the unique challenges moms of young children face while striving to cultivate a relationship with the Lord in everyday life. Nursing babies are welcome, and participants will have an individual room if they want to bring a pack-n-play or need to nurse or pump for a baby while on retreat.
Lauren Bassinger, a North American Martyrs parishioner attended the initial retreat in July 2020. She has four children age 7 and younger, and said the retreat was “perfect for moms with littles.”
“The early years of motherhood are marked by a lack of silence,” she said. “I think moms in this phase of life can believe that the chaos of raising littles and spiritual growth—which is so often found in uninterrupted holy hours or silent retreats or deep, rational discussions with adults—are mutually exclusive. This retreat reminded us that holiness is for all phases.”
She added that the retreat was led in a way “sensitive to the fact that we have families.”
“It’s just one day long,” she said, “and moms are welcome to bring their babies. Nobody had to fear getting the stink-eye when their baby cried during Mass or adoration or a talk. It was also beautiful to feel the solidarity of other women out there who are fighting the good fight and striving for holiness in the messiness of motherhood.”
The retreat will include talks, time for prayer and confession, community, and time for silence – as much as possible at a baby-friendly retreat. For more information or to register, go to https://lincolndiocese.regfox.com/ymretreat. Contact Marilyn Klein with questions or concerns at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
