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Featuring the Grant Deanery

St. Joseph Church - Benkelman, Resurrection Church - Elsie, Mother of Sorrows Church - Grant, St. Patrick Church - Imperial, Holy Family Church - Palisade, St. Joseph Church - Stratton, St. James Church - Trenton, St. Mary Church - Wallace, St. John Church - Wauneta

Featured Parishes: Crete Deanery, David City Deanery, Fairbury Deanery, Falls City Deanery, Grant Deanery, Hastings Deanery, Indianola Deanery, Lawrence Deanery, Lincoln Deanery, Orleans Deanery, Plattsmouth Deanery, Wahoo Deanery, York Deanery

Resurrection, Elsie

PCCW Activities

  • Serving a meal once a year at the American Red Cross blood drive to the donators and workers
  • Holding a Right-to-Life baby shower
  • Holding a food drive for county pantry
  • Serve funeral dinners when needed
  • The first Sunday of each month, the PCCW hosts coffee and rolls for the congregation
  • Altar Society officers take turns rotating alphabetically into the offices of president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.)

Historical Highlights

  • There were thirty-five families in the parish when Immaculate Conception Church was constructed in 1889.
  • Because of the lack of regular priests coupled with the great economic difficulties, although their debt was only $500 in 1903, the parish decided to cancel it by selling the church.  The people of Holdrege bought the building, dismantled it, and used the materials for building their church in Holdrege.
  • Bishop Charles J. O’Reilly dedicated a new church on October 8, 1918.  It was named “Resurrection of Our Lord Church” symbolic of the spiritual resurrection of the congregation that had been for a decade and a half without a church.
  • In the 1980’s, extensive work was done, including new carpeting in the church that was donated by the Altar Society and repainting of the interior of the church.  The statues were restored and the church was rewired.  Exterior improvements included a new roof on the church and tower, as well as, repainting of the church.
  • In 2004, the church got a new entryway including new white doors and a ramp.
  • In February 2005, members of the parish painted the interior of the church.

Mother of Sorrows, Grant

PCCW Activities

  • Serve the needs of the parish; connect with the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
  • Assist in for various parish projects: fall dinner, turkey bingo and fish fry.
  • Plan social opportunities for the parish: various potlucks, receptions for first communion, graduation, and confirmation.
  • Coordinate parish events, auctions, funerals, weddings, etc.
  • Host Bingo on the 5th Wednesday of the month.
  • Volunteers for Golden Ours Sunday afternoon church services.
  • Volunteers to clean the church each week.

Historical Highlights

  • Mother of Sorrows has the distinction of being the farthest west parish in the Diocese of Lincoln.
  • Beginning in 1890, a priest from Grand Island would visit Grant a few times a year.
  • The parish was organized in 1926 and the church dedicated Oct. 17, 1928 - the first Catholic Church in Perkins County.
  • Initially a mission of Wallace, beginning in 1933 they had a resident pastor, and a new rectory was built in 1947.
  • In 1957, the decision was made to replace the original frame church with a brick church.
  • The present Gothic style church was dedicated Sept. 12, 1961.
  • On June 2, 1981 the present Education Center was opened for CCD classes, later named the "Father Green Center."
  • The church and rectory interior were renovated beginning Sept. 1994, the Church kitchen renovated 2011-12.

St. Patrick, Imperial

PCCW Activities

  • Host monthly breakfast alternating with K of C and Godparent kids
  • Church Cleaning and Funeral Dinners
  • Furnish communion kits for all First Communicants
  • World Marriage Day Recognition
  • Catering: Imperial Chamber of Commerce Ag Appreciation Dinner & Christmas Festival, Chase County Hospital Foundation Appreciation Dessert Bar, Christmas Parties
  • Fish Fry with K of C
  • Hamburger Feed with K of C for Totus Tuus

Historical Highlights

  • The first Church was dedicated on June 13, 1907.
  • The present day church was dedicated on February 11, 1958.
  • In Nov. 1992 St. Patrick’s Church purchased the former United Methodist Church fellowship Hall to be used for religious instruction for the grade school children.
  • A new Hall was built in 2009 with classrooms.
  • St. Isidore Thrift Store was opened in Imperial in 2010 in the old fellowship hall.
  • In 2013 a building on main street was purchased, St. Isidore moved to this new location, and the old fellowship hall was torn down.

Holy Family, Palisade

PCCW Activities

  • The major activity is organizing a community dinner every 3rd Sunday of the Month which helps support the utilities of the parish Mihm Hall, builds up the community spirit and helps provide meals for ill or home bound that may have special needs at a particular moments.

Historical Highlights

  • For many years Catholics in Palisade attended Mass in other towns.  In 1908 the Oblate Fathers from McCook began occasional visits.
  • During the pastorate of Father D.P. McCullough, the church was completed in the spring of 1909.  Bishop Tihen administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to a small class and dedicated the church on April 22, 1917.
  • Oblate Fathers continued to serve Holy Family until 1959, then the parish became the mission of Saint James in Trenton with Father Joseph Mroczkowski as pastor.
  • His successors were Father Edward Valasek (1963-1977), Father Ernest Sloup (1977-1987), Father Mark Pfeiffer (1987-1993), Father Philip Luther (1993-2001), Father Patrick Murphy (2001-2005), Father Valerian Bartek (2005-2012) and Father Lothar Gilde as the current pastor.

St. Joseph, Stratton

PCCW Activities

  • Serving funerals
  • Coffee & rolls monthly after 4th Sunday mass
  • Breakfasts for 1st Communion and Graduations
  • Community ladies prayer breakfasts
  • Serving a parish Christmas breakfast
  • Providing food and personnel for blood drives
  • Participating in Pro-life activities, LDCCW activities, community activities
  • Officers: President Geraldine Downing, Vice President Susan Ladenburger, Treasurer Joyce Forch; Secretary Marilyn Lorens

Historical Highlights

  • First mass was held in Stratton in 1885 with Rev. Fr. Thomas Cullen from McCook. 
  • In 1908 a former Baptist Church was purchased for the new church.  The deed to the church was transferred to Bishop Thomas Bonacum in 1909.
  • Bishop Henry Tihen was the first bishop to visit Stratton in 1915.
  • In 1923 Stratton became affiliated with Benkelman and in 1932 Stratton became a mission to Benkelman.
  • July 25, 1951 a new and present church was dedicated by Bishop Louis B. Kucera.
  • June 30, 2012 dedication of a 17’ x 31’  addition and elevator added to the existing building by Bishop James Conley. 

St. James, Trenton

PCCW Activities

  • Serve funeral dinners and rosary receptions
  • Serve receptions for First Communion, Confirmation and Graduation
  • Hold an Annual Fall Dinner for parish and community
  • Altar Society members clean the church
  • Participate in LDCCW activities.
  • Officers: Barb Hidy, Pres.; Norma Keeney, V.P.; Rita Stupka, Sec.; Joyce Williamson, Treas.; Linda Ruzicka, Past Pres.

Historical Highlights

  • Fr. Thomas Cullen from McCook celebrated the first mass in Trenton in 1885.
  • In fall 1893, the first church was completed with first mass celebrated by Fr. James Hickey.
  • On June 25, 1894, Bishop Thomas Bonacum dedicated the new church, giving it the name St. James.
  • The present church was built in 1951 and dedicated in 1952 with Bishop Louis Kucera and Fr. Thomas Bollard.
  • The rectory was completed in 1960 under Fr. Joseph Mroczkowski.
  • New additions to the church include an elevator and a painted mural behind the altar.

St. Mary, Wallace

PCCW Activities

  • Recite rosary and Serve coffee and rolls every Sunday
  • Clean the church and hall; Serve funeral dinners 
  • Receptions for First Communion and Confirmation
  • Honor the graduating seniors; Activities for World Marriage Day
  • Advent baby shower to collect items for surrounding Pregnancy Centers
  • Epiphany Sunday Potluck; Pro-Life signs throughout the community
  • Officers: President - Pat Heinemann, Vice President - Pilar Gomez, Secretary - Kristi Griffiths, Treasurer - Liz Hock

Historical Highlights

  • From 1902-1907, Wallace was a mission of Elsie.
  • From 1908-1910, the Oblate Fathers from McCook administered Wallace.
  • Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Wallace was built in 1909. Priests from Curtis and Minden served the parish. 
  • In 1923, a rectory was built for St. Mary’s first resident priest.
  • In 1958, Father James O’Connor officiated at the ground breaking ceremony for a new church, parish hall, and rectory.
  • With many hours of volunteer labor, the building was completed and Bishop James Casey dedicated the structure on April 14, 1959.

St. John, Wauneta

PCCW Activities

  • Clean and decorate the church
  • Officers: Betty McCallum (President), Annalea Vapenik (Treasurer), Kriski Vapenik (Secretary)

Historical Highlights

  • One of the earliest cattlemen to settle the area was George Meister who arrived in 1885.  When a few more Catholics joined him, the group gathered on Sundays for a prayer service in someone’s home then later in the school building.  
  • 1892 was the beginning of occasional visits from priests due to the completion of a railroad line.
  • 1908 brought more frequent priestly visits because of the presence of Oblate Fathers being assigned to McCook and its surrounding regions.  
  • The schoolboard withdrew permission for Mass in the school in 1908 so Mass went back to the home of parishioner John Teply.
  • St. John Church was established in 1920.  The first church was built at a sacrificial cost of $3,450 with $500 in aid from the Catholic Extension Society if it was named in honor of St. John.  The first church was later flooded.
  • Father Clement Green and Benkelman architect, E. H. Lingo, designed the modern church currently located on Highway 6 and Arikaree Street.  With 957 hours of labor donated by parishioners, it was possible to complete the church for $22,000.  Bishop James Casey dedicated the new church on May 6, 1960. 
  • Contact

    Contact

    Rev. Thomas Lux
    Spiritual Advisor

    Phone: 402-489-1946

    Rev. Thomas McGuire
    Spiritual Advisor

    Phone: 402-335-3742

    Valerie Able
    2026-2028 President

    Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Treasurer: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Leadership Commission: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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