About Holy Trinity · Blue Hill, Nebraska
Holy Trinity is a Catholic mission church in the small farming community of Blue Hill, Nebraska, in Webster County. It is one of three linked parishes served from St. Anne's in nearby Campbell, in the Diocese of Lincoln's Lawrence Deanery, and also acts as a mission to Sacred Heart in Red Cloud. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10:00 a.m., and the parish shares a pastor, secretary, and bulletin with its sister parish of St. Anne. Holy Trinity's roots go back to 1880, when German and Bohemian homesteaders first gathered for Mass in family homes, and the present church building has been at the heart of the community since 1883.
- Established
- 1880 (mission; church building 1883)
- Patron
- Holy Trinity (the Most Holy Trinity)
- Rector
- Rev. Adam Sparling
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Lawrence Deanery)
Why belong here
Holy Trinity is a small, multi-generational parish that lives out its Catholic identity in a tight-knit farming community. Parishioners walk with one another through life's hardest moments — including an extraordinary season in which five members faced cancer — through daily prayer, meals, benefits, and Masses offered for the sick. The parish shares a pastor, bulletin, and ministries with neighboring St. Anne's in Campbell, and offers CCD religious education, an active PCCW (Altar Society), and the Seven Sisters Apostolate for vocations.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:40–9:55 a.m. at Holy Trinity, Blue Hill
- Saturday 4:40–4:55 p.m. at St. Anne, Campbell
- Also any time by appointment
Parish History & Heritage
Holy Trinity's roots reach back to 1880, when German and Bohemian homesteaders in the Blue Hill area first gathered for Mass in family homes. The current church building was erected in 1883 under Frederick Kick and Bernard Kuhn, expanded with a choir loft in 1908, and enlarged with a new altar and pews in 1919. In 1913 Rev. Lombardi became the parish's first resident pastor. After decades of incremental growth — basement dug out in 1953, remodeling in 1974 — Holy Trinity became a mission of St. Anne's, Campbell, in 1978. Bishop Bruskewitz celebrated the parish's 125th anniversary in 2008.
- 1880 – First Masses celebrated in family homes in German and Bohemian
- 1883 – Main church building erected (Frederick Kick and Bernard Kuhn)
- 1908 – Choir loft added and interior redecorated
- 1913 – Rev. Lombardi assigned as first resident pastor
- 1914 – First rectory built
- 1919 – Church enlarged, new altar and pews
- 1953 – Basement dug out under church (Gilbert Schunk), wiring and plumbing added
- 1974 – Church and basement remodeled
- 1978 – Holy Trinity becomes a mission of St. Anne's, Campbell
- 1997 – New parish hall built; basement converted to CCD classrooms
- 2004–2006 – Exterior facelift and interior refresh
- 2008 – Bishop Bruskewitz celebrates 125th anniversary Mass
- 2012 – Eagle Scout landscaping project by Kyl Rouse
- 2016 – New glass entrance doors and hall carpeting
Clergy, Staff & Contact
Holy Trinity is served by Fr. Adam Sparling, who is pastor of the linked parishes of St. Anne (Campbell), Holy Trinity (Blue Hill), and Sacred Heart (Red Cloud). Parish Secretary Mikayla Niederklein coordinates office and household duties for all three parishes. Pastoral care is shared with St. Anne's in Campbell, and the parishes share a common bulletin, website, and phone line.
- Pastor: Rev. Adam Sparling — [email protected]
- Parish Secretary: Mikayla Niederklein — [email protected]
- Phone (parish office): 402-756-8006
- Emergency line: 402-202-7685
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 156, Campbell, NE 68932
- Street address: 513 South Liberty Street, Blue Hill, NE 68930
PCCW (Parish Council of Catholic Women) / Altar Society
The women of Holy Trinity are organized through the PCCW and serve as the parish's Altar Society. They lead many of the social and charitable activities that bind the parish together and connect it to the wider Blue Hill community.
- Celebrate World Marriage Day each February
- Host a Lenten Breakfast inviting all four Blue Hill denominations
- Prepare and serve the Prom Banquet for high school juniors and seniors
- Host a coffee-and-roll breakfast after Mass on the first Sunday of each month
- Lead the rosary at wake services for members
- Serve the family luncheon after funeral Masses
- Present Bibles to first communicants
- Recognize confirmandi, senior graduates, and first communicants at the monthly breakfast
- Donate to the local bloodmobile and individual community benefits
- Pack lunches at CSS and prepare packets for victims of natural disasters
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Since 1997, when the church basement was converted into classrooms, Holy Trinity has offered CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) religious education for the parish's children. Children preparing for First Communion receive Bibles at a recognition ceremony, and confirmandi are honored at the monthly parish breakfast.
- CCD classes held in the converted church basement
- Bible presentations for First Communicants
- Confirmation recognition at monthly breakfast
- Senior graduates honored at monthly breakfast
Parish Life & Community Outreach
Holy Trinity is a small parish where members know and care for one another deeply. When five parishioners faced cancer in a single year, the community organized benefits, brought meals, and joined the pastor in checking in daily — with approximately 62 Masses offered for one member alone. The parish also maintains rotating teams of cleaners, servers, lectors, and acolytes who keep Sunday liturgies running.
- Weekly church cleaning rotation
- Rotating Minister & Server schedule for weekend Masses
- First-Sunday-of-the-month coffee and roll breakfast after Mass
- Benefit meals and fundraisers for parishioners in need
- Food drives for local bloodmobile
- Packing lunches at CSS and disaster-relief packets
- Daily check-ins and prayer support during times of illness
Buildings, Campus & Improvements
The Holy Trinity campus at 513 South Liberty in Blue Hill centers on the 1883 church, with a parish hall added in 1997. Generations of parishioners have invested in keeping the buildings sound and beautiful, from the basement dug out in 1953 to the 2004–2006 facelift and ongoing upgrades.
- 1883 – Main church building erected
- 1953 – Basement added beneath the church
- 1974 – Interior and basement remodeled
- 1997 – New parish hall built; basement converted to CCD classrooms
- 2004–2006 – New siding, front entrance, sidewalks, doors, wrought-iron railings; interior repainted; new carpeting; pews refinished
- 2012 – Landscaping upgraded as an Eagle Scout project
- 2016 – New glass entrance doors and new parish-hall carpeting
Diocese & Deanery
Holy Trinity is part of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln in the Lawrence Deanery. As a mission of St. Anne, Campbell, it shares pastoral leadership and ministry resources with neighboring Sacred Heart, Red Cloud. The diocesan directory lists Holy Trinity's weekend Mass and confession schedule and identifies it as a mission of St. Anne and as mission to Sacred Heart.
- Diocese: Diocese of Lincoln
- Deanery: Lawrence
- Parish type: Mission (of St. Anne, Campbell; mission to Sacred Heart, Red Cloud)
- Diocesan directory listing: lincolndiocese.org/directory/parishes/679-holy-trinity-blue-hill
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Kuppenbender1880s
Mission priest who rode the train to Blue Hill on Saturday, said Sunday Mass, and returned Monday.
- Rev. Lombardi1913–
Assigned in 1913 as the first resident pastor; first rectory built in 1914.