About Assumption · Deweese, Nebraska
Our Lady of Assumption is a small Catholic mission church serving the village of Deweese in southern Nebraska's Clay County. It is a mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Lawrence, sharing that parish's pastor and its mailing address in Lawrence. Today the church gathers the faithful for Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m. and is supported by a dedicated Altar Society that keeps the parish's devotional and charitable life active in this rural south-central Nebraska community.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Assumption (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Denton Morris (pastor of Sacred Heart, Lawrence, with Assumption and St. Stephen, Lawrence as missions — assigned January 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Roman-Latin Rite)
Why belong here
Assumption is a tight-knit rural mission where the Altar Society keeps the parish's life visibly active — leading the Rosary before Sunday Mass, honoring First Communicants and Confirmandi, supporting funeral luncheons, holding monthly parish brunches and twice-yearly bake sales, and reaching outward through an annual Pro-Life Diaper Drive and hygiene/food collections for Catholic Social Services. As part of the Sacred Heart Parish family in Lawrence, parishioners here enjoy both the intimacy of a small village church and the sacramental stability of a larger parish — including a pastor who personally tends this mission alongside St. Stephen, Lawrence.
Mass times at Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (reported on Discover Mass)
- Sunday: before the 10:00 a.m. Mass (per Diocese of Lincoln parish directory)
Parish Identity & Mission Status
Assumption in Deweese is a Catholic mission church under the pastoral care of Sacred Heart Parish in Lawrence, within the Diocese of Lincoln's Lawrence Deanery. Its mailing address shares the Sacred Heart PO Box in Lawrence, and its sacramental life is administered by the Sacred Heart pastor. As part of this three-church family (Sacred Heart, St. Stephen in Lawrence, and Assumption in Deweese), the small Deweese congregation is supported by clergy from across the region.
- Mission of Sacred Heart Parish, Lawrence
- Lawrence Deanery, Diocese of Lincoln
- Roman (Latin) Rite, English-language liturgy
- Mailing address shared with Sacred Heart, Lawrence (PO Box 247, Lawrence, NE 68957)
History of Our Lady of Assumption
Founded in 1910 through the initiative of Father Mathias W. Nemec (pastor of Saint Aloysius, Fairfield, and Saint Martin, Loucky), Assumption has ministered to Catholic families in and around Deweese for more than a century. The present church was built in 1978, and in 1983 Assumption formally became a mission of Sacred Heart in Lawrence. The parish's centennial was celebrated on August 14, 2010, with a '100 Years of Faith & Family' event held the evening before the Assumption feast.
- 1910 — first Mass celebrated in Our Lady of Assumption Parish
- 1978 — present Assumption Church building constructed
- 1983 — Assumption becomes a mission of Sacred Heart Parish, Lawrence
- August 14, 2010 — '100 Years of Faith & Family' centennial celebration
Clergy & Pastoral Care
Because Assumption is a mission of Sacred Heart, Lawrence, the pastor of Sacred Heart also serves Assumption. Since January 2024 that pastor has been Father Denton Morris, who oversaw Sacred Heart's restoration and celebrated its Mass of Rededication with Bishop James Conley on June 20 (after a fire caused extensive damage to the Sacred Heart church building). Across recent decades, priests who have served the Assumption mission out of Sacred Heart include Fathers Thomas Au, Dennis Hunt, Loras Grell, Thomas Bush, Thomas Schultes, and Corey Harrison.
- Fr. Denton Morris — current pastor (January 2024 – present)
- Fr. Corey Harrison, Fr. Thomas Bush, Fr. Thomas Schultes, Fr. Loras Grell, Fr. Dennis Hunt, Fr. Thomas Au — recent mission priests
- Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women spiritual advisors: Rev. Thomas Lux and Rev. Thomas McGuire
Altar Society & Parish Life
The Altar Society is the heart of parish life at Assumption. Members lead the Rosary before Sunday Mass, decorate the church for Christmas, purchase altar supplies and candles, honor First Communion and Confirmation classes as well as high-school graduates, and serve funeral luncheons. They observe World Marriage Day, host a monthly parish brunch/dinner, hold bake sales twice a year, and lead outreach efforts including the annual Pro-Life Diaper Drive and the assembly of hygiene kits and food collections for Catholic Social Services. Judy Weston serves as Altar Society President for 2024–2026, and the group is also represented in the Lawrence Deanery of the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
- Lead Rosary before Sunday Mass
- Decorate Church for Christmas; purchase altar supplies & candles
- Honor First Communion & Confirmation classes, high school graduates
- Serve funeral luncheons; observe World Marriage Day
- Monthly Parish Brunch/Dinner; bake sales twice each year
- Annual Pro-Life Diaper Drive
- Assemble hygiene kits and collect food for Catholic Social Services
- Altar Society President (2024–2026): Judy Weston
Outreach & Charity
Though small, Assumption extends its Catholic mission well beyond Deweese through the Altar Society's charity efforts. Each year the parish supports life through a Pro-Life Diaper Drive and serves the wider community by collecting food and assembling hygiene kits for Catholic Social Services. These works are an intentional expression of the parish's Marian identity and its role as a faithful rural mission within the Diocese of Lincoln.
- Annual Pro-Life Diaper Drive
- Hygiene-kit assembly for Catholic Social Services
- Food collection for Catholic Social Services
Sacramental Life & Faith Formation
Sunday Mass and confession are the regular sacraments offered at Assumption. Sacramental milestones — First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage — are honored by the Altar Society, and faith-formation (CCD) for Assumption families is coordinated through Sacred Heart Parish in Lawrence, which uses its elementary school for CCD after hours. Visitors and parishioners are warmly invited to call the parish office to arrange baptisms, weddings, or other sacramental needs.
- Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m.
- Saturday and Sunday confession times
- First Communion & Confirmation honored at the parish
- CCD (religious education) coordinated through Sacred Heart, Lawrence
Visit, Contact & Location
Assumption Church is located at 506 Liberty Street in Deweese, on the southeast corner of the village — easy to find at the edge of town. The parish shares its mailing address with Sacred Heart, Lawrence (PO Box 247, Lawrence, NE 68957). The parish phone line is 402-756-7393, and the joint Lawrence-and-Deweese Catholic community maintains a Facebook presence under the page 'lawrence.and.deweese', where parishioners and visitors can keep up with current events.
- Street address: 506 Liberty, Deweese, NE 68934
- Mailing address: PO Box 247, Lawrence, NE 68957
- Phone: 402-756-7393
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawrence.and.deweese/
- Diocese directory: https://www.lincolndiocese.org/directory/parishes/697-assumption-deweese
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Mathias W. Nemeccirca 1910 (founding pastor of Saint Aloysius, Fairfield, who recognized need for the Deweese parish)
Recognized the need for a Catholic parish near Deweese; not resident pastor of Assumption itself.
- Fr. Thomas Au
Served Assumption as a mission priest in recent decades.
- Fr. Dennis Hunt
Served Assumption as a mission priest in recent decades.
- Fr. Loras Grell
Served Assumption as a mission priest in recent decades.
- Fr. Thomas Bush
Served Assumption as a mission priest; also oversaw 2016 Sacred Heart baptismal-room renovation.
- Fr. Thomas Schultes
Served Assumption as a mission priest in recent decades.
- Fr. Corey Harrison
Served Assumption as a mission priest in recent decades.
- Fr. Denton MorrisJanuary 2024 – present
Current pastor of Sacred Heart, Lawrence, with Assumption and St. Stephen as missions. Celebrated Sacred Heart's rededication Mass with Bishop James Conley on June 20 (following repairs after fire damage).