About Holy Trinity · Syracuse, Nebraska
Holy Trinity Catholic Church is a rural mission parish located on Arbor Road outside Avoca, Nebraska (Cass County), though it is administered from Syracuse and shares its pastor and website with nearby St. Paulinus Catholic Church in Syracuse. It belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln (Plattsmouth Deanery) and is formally listed as a Mission of St. Paulinus, Syracuse. Holy Trinity is served by Fr. Ryan Salisbury, and its Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. is the central act of worship for Catholic families in the Avoca and surrounding Cass County farmland. The two parishes — St. Paulinus and Holy Trinity — function as a single pastoral unit sharing one rectory, one bulletin, one faith-formation program (CCD), and one combined ministry schedule for acolytes, readers and servers.
- Patron
- Holy Trinity
- Rector
- Fr. Ryan Salisbury
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
Holy Trinity offers a peaceful, traditional rural Catholic Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. in a small country chapel on Arbor Road outside Avoca, just minutes from Syracuse. As a mission of nearby St. Paulinus, Syracuse, it gives parishioners the intimacy of a country parish with the full sacramental life of a larger one — daily Mass, CCD faith formation for grades K-8, weddings, baptisms, and confessions all coordinated through a single shared pastor and parish office. Families who value small-community Mass, shared service opportunities as acolytes, readers and servers, and the strong Lincoln-diocese Catholic tradition of southeast Nebraska will find Holy Trinity a welcoming home.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:15-10:25 a.m. (15 minutes before Mass at Holy Trinity)
- 20 minutes before each daily Mass at St. Paulinus, Syracuse
- Saturday 4:15-4:50 p.m. at St. Paulinus, Syracuse
- Sunday 6:40-6:55 a.m. at St. Paulinus, Syracuse
- Sunday 8:30-8:50 a.m. at St. Paulinus, Syracuse
About Holy Trinity & St. Paulinus Parish
St. Paulinus & Holy Trinity is a combined Catholic pastoral unit in southeast Nebraska. St. Paulinus Catholic Church sits at 476 Poplar Street in Syracuse, and Holy Trinity Catholic Church sits on Arbor Road in rural Avoca (Cass County), about two miles south and one mile east of Hwy. 34 and 102nd Street. Both churches are administered from the rectory at 863 5th Street, Syracuse, where Fr. Ryan Salisbury serves as pastor for both communities. The parishes share one bulletin, one faith-formation program, one set of liturgical minister schedules, and a common sacramental policy.
- St. Paulinus — 476 Poplar St., Syracuse, NE 68446
- Holy Trinity — Arbor Road, Rural Avoca, NE 68307
- Rectory / Parish Office — 863 5th St., Syracuse, NE 68446
- Parish phone: 402-269-3382
Parish History
Catholic life in the Syracuse area began in 1880, when priests from Nebraska City visited Syracuse as a station, celebrating Mass in private homes, the community center or the second floor of a local store. In 1905, seven to eight families organized to build the first church, which Bishop Bonacum dedicated in 1906 with about 85 seats. The Avoca territory served by Holy Trinity came under the same priestly care in 1935 when Fr. McFadden became the first resident pastor for both Syracuse and Avoca.
- 1880 — Syracuse first visited as a station by priests from Nebraska City
- 1906 — Bishop Bonacum dedicates the first Syracuse church (~85 seats)
- 1935 — Fr. McFadden becomes first resident pastor of Syracuse and Avoca
- 1956 — Holy Trinity Summer Bible School meeting in Avoca parish hall
- 1957 — Bishop James V. Casey blesses cornerstone of the present St. Paulinus church
- 1962 — Fr. McFadden dies after 27 years of pastoral service
- 1981 — Knights of Columbus Council #7614 chartered in Fr. McFadden's honor
- 1988 — Present rectory purchased; old rectory converted to CCD center
- 1990s — Parish properties rearranged for a new parking lot
Faith Formation & Youth Programs
The parish runs a CCD (Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine) program every Wednesday during the school year for children in grades K-8, providing a sequential learning pattern in a 'community of faith' environment. As the Church teaches, parents are the first and foremost educators of their children, and CCD exists to support that parental role. On alternating weeks the classes take turns having confessions available, and on non-confession weeks Mass is celebrated for everyone beginning at 7:10 p.m. Each grade also has a set of assigned prayers to learn over the school year.
- CCD — Wednesday evenings, grades K-8
- Grade-by-grade CCD prayer list (linked on parish site)
- Confession available for CCD students on alternating weeks
- 7:10 p.m. Mass for all on non-confession weeks
- Godteens youth program (in formation)
Liturgical Ministries
The parish actively recruits and trains lay liturgical ministers — servers, acolytes, readers/lectors — for both St. Paulinus and Holy Trinity. Schedules for acolytes, readers and servers are maintained online. The parish emphasizes that liturgical ministry is a special dignity, and ministers are asked to wear proper attire (dress shoes and slacks/pants for servers and acolytes; 'dressy' attire for readers) and to arrange their own replacements in good time when they cannot serve.
- Servers (altar servers)
- Acolytes (with published schedule)
- Readers / Lectors
- Cleaning ministry
Sacraments
The combined parish follows the diocesan baptismal guidelines, which require a preparation class before a couple's first child is baptized and a completed Baptism Application. Couples wishing to marry at the church must contact and meet with the pastor at least six months before reserving a date and sending 'Save the Dates', and must familiarize themselves with the Parish Wedding Policy. Confession is offered before every Mass at both churches, and other sacraments (Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation) are coordinated through the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation class + Baptism Application
- Marriage — 6-month notice to pastor; Parish Wedding Policy
- Confession — before every Mass at both churches
- Full parish Wedding Policy document available on the website (st_paulinus_marriage_file.doc)
Contact & Visiting Holy Trinity
Parishioners and visitors can reach the combined parish office by phone at 402-269-3382, or by email through the pastor (Fr. Ryan Salisbury) or the parish office address. The mailing address for both churches is 863 5th St., Syracuse, NE 68446, and the physical address for Holy Trinity is on Arbor Road in rural Avoca, Cass County. Driving directions: from the Avoca corner on 'O' Street north of town, go east and turn south at 102nd Street (sign-marked); after two miles, turn left (east) at the T-intersection and follow the road to the church.
- Parish Phone: 402-269-3382
- Mailing address: 863 5th St., Syracuse, NE 68446
- Holy Trinity physical address: Arbor Road, Rural Avoca, NE 68307
- Streaming Masses: www.facebook.com/stpaulinus/videos
Diocese & Affiliations
Holy Trinity is a mission parish of the Diocese of Lincoln, assigned to the Plattsmouth Deanery. It is formally listed as a Mission of St. Paulinus Catholic Church, Syracuse, on both the diocesan directory and GCatholic.org. The Diocese of Lincoln directs sacramental, marriage-preparation, baptismal and safe-environment policies that the parish follows.
- Diocese: Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska
- Deanery: Plattsmouth
- Status: Mission of St. Paulinus, Syracuse
- Diocesan directory: lincolndiocese.org/directory/parishes/755-holy-trinity-avoca