Southern Nebraska Register
Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly will host a “Back to the Garden” retreat April 4-6, led by Father Cole Kennett and Sarina Stokes.
This retreat invites young adult women to “encounter the masculine Heart of Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, and the restoration He has in store for your feminine identity.”
“You were made for Heaven,” said Stokes. “You were made for Jesus. You were made to walk in the garden of your heart with Him.”
Father Cole Kennett was ordained a priest in 2017, at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Michael Parish in Lincoln and has previously held pastoral roles in Colon and Cedar Bluffs. He also taught at Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo.
With a passion for the restoration and integration of the whole person through the healing power of Jesus Christ, Father Kennett draws inspiration from Revelation 21:5, which says, “Behold, I make all things new.” His ministry emphasizes the transformative nature of Christ’s love, seeking to reclaim what was lost in the Garden of Eden through disobedience.
Sarina Stokes previously served as the outreach and ministry coordinator at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House. She is a graduate of the University of Mary’s Applied Catholic Theology program. She graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2015 and spent two years working with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In 2022, Stokes made a private vow of chastity to Jesus Christ, dedicating her heart, mind, body, and soul entirely to Him.
Drawing from Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body,” the poetic reflections found in the Song of Songs, and personal testimonies, the retreat will help women recognize the truth of their identity and discover the beauty within themselves as beloved daughters of God. The weekend will offer participants the chance to “re-write” their personal stories through the transformative lens of Christ’s redeeming love.
The retreat will begin Friday, April 4, with check-in at 6 p.m. followed by an opening event featuring charcuterie and fellowship at 7 p.m.
The weekend will conclude on Sunday, April 6, at 2 p.m. Participants are invited to wear their “beautiful Sunday best” for a women’s brunch on the final day, celebrating the retreat’s conclusion with the joyful symbolism of the “Wedding Feast of the Lamb.” To register, visit goodcounselretreat.org or call 402-786-2705.
