Southern Nebraska Register
This Lent, members of St. Michael Parish in Lincoln will engage in deep work of the heart.
The parish’s inaugural Lenten retreat will be held Saturday, March 22. Led by Father Benjamin Holdren, the retreat, “Lay Bare the Heart,” aims to lead attendees into an intimate encounter with Jesus.
Father Holdren will be joined by Ashley Montag, a licensed mental health practitioner at Restoration Psychotherapy and Wellness in Lincoln. They will speak of the desires rooted in the human heart, the beauty of a surrendered heart, and the interior freedom that comes from a heart healed by love.
The emphasis on “heart” comes from a missional call Father Cole Kennett, pastor of St. Michael, recently received while attending a leadership immersive at Acts XXIX in Michigan with his leadership team.
“The Lord spoke powerfully to us: Jesus wants St. Michael Parish to be a family,” Father Kennett said. “He wants us to focus on four essential elements of family life: sacrificial love, authentic forgiveness, heartfelt vulnerability, and communal life.”
He said the team returned grateful, and convinced of the Lord’s longing for the parish family to learn to live life like Christ—willing the good of the other, forgiving offenses, reverencing vulnerability, and investing in real relationships.
Father Kennett said being a parish family on mission starts in the heart of each individual.
“The Lent retreat with Father Holdren and Ashley is an opportunity for personal renewal and commitment,” he explained. “We want to build a culture of trust where everyone is delighted in as a son or daughter of the Father of Goodness.”
The one-day retreat Saturday, March 22, is open to all. It will begin with Mass at 8:15 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. The retreat will include talks, lunch, Eucharistic adoration, grace sharing, and the opportunity for confession. Registration is available through the St. Michael website: www.stmichaellincoln.org.
Other Lenten events at the parish include small men’s and women’s Scripture study groups, a Scripture class on the “Heart of the Healer” led by assistant pastor Father Ranil Weerackoon, stations of the cross, and a penance service.
