About Sacred Heart · Burchard, Nebraska
Sacred Heart is a small Catholic mission parish in the village of Burchard, Nebraska, in Pawnee County. It belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln (Falls City Deanery) and has been a mission of St. Anthony of Padua in Steinauer since 1968. The congregation worships in a striking 1953 Romanesque Revival brick church that dominates the town's skyline, and the parish is sustained by a dedicated Altar Society that hosts an annual Harvest Supper and quilt raffle and supports the wider Pawnee County community.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. K. William Holoubek (Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, Steinauer, with Sacred Heart, Burchard as his mission; also Director of the Diocesan Mission Office)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Falls City Deanery)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small, generational rural parish with deep roots in Pawnee County's Catholic community — a place where families have worshipped together since 1882. Mass is celebrated every Sunday morning in a beautiful 1953 Romanesque Revival brick church, and the active Altar Society keeps the parish at the heart of local life through an annual Harvest Supper and quilt raffle, a baby shower, a diaper drive, and ongoing care for the building and its vestments. Anyone visiting on a Sunday is welcomed into a worshipping community that is small in number but large in devotion.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday before Mass (approximately 7:30–7:50 a.m., per pcocatholics.com)
Parish Identity & Mission Status
Sacred Heart is classified as a mission of St. Anthony of Padua, Steinauer, within the Diocese of Lincoln. Its mailing address is the St. Anthony rectory in Steinauer, and it is served by the pastor of St. Anthony, currently Rev. K. William Holoubek, who is also Director of the Diocesan Mission Office. The parish sits in the Diocese of Lincoln's Falls City Deanery.
- Mission of St. Anthony of Padua, Steinauer (since 1968)
- Diocese of Lincoln, Falls City Deanery
- Listed at 405 Gage St., Burchard, NE 68323
History of Sacred Heart, Burchard
Irish and German Catholic settlers arrived in the Plum Creek Settlement between 1858 and 1870, and Benedictine priests from Nebraska City began visiting three or four times a year to say Mass in their homes. After land was purchased in 1872, Father Augustin Rausch — pastor of St. John the Baptist in Table Rock — began commuting by train twice a month to Burchard and supervised the 25 families who built the first Sacred Heart Church in 1882. The wood-frame church was enlarged in the 1890s, destroyed by a windstorm in 1897, and rebuilt the next year. Father James Gilroy became the parish's first resident pastor in 1908, and a rectory was built for him. The present-day brick Romanesque Revival church was begun in 1951 and dedicated in June 1953, replacing a structure destroyed decades earlier in the 1913 tornado that hit Burchard.
- 1858–1870: Irish and German settlers arrive in Plum Creek Settlement
- 1872: Land purchased for a future church
- 1882: First Sacred Heart Church built under Father Augustin Rausch
- 1890s: Church enlarged and remodeled
- 1897: Windstorm destroys the church; rebuilt in 1898
- 1908: Father James Gilroy becomes first resident pastor; rectory built
- 1913: Tornado destroys the Catholic church in Burchard
- 1951: Ground broken for the present Romanesque brick church
- 1953 (June): Present church dedicated
- 1968: Made a mission of St. Anthony, Steinauer
- 1982 (Aug. 29): Centennial Anniversary celebrated after refurbishment and redecoration
The Church Building
The current church is a large Romanesque Revival brick structure built 1951–1953. The Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey (NEHBS PW02-001) specifically notes that it is notable for its Romanesque Revival detailing and for dominating Burchard's skyline. The interior is lit by stained-glass windows that the parish has been working to restore, including a fundraising drive launched in 2020.
- Romanesque Revival style, 1951–1953
- Large brick church; dominates Burchard's skyline
- Stained-glass windows have been the focus of repair and fundraising efforts
Clergy
Sacred Heart is served by the pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, Steinauer. He also serves as Director of the Diocesan Mission Office for the Diocese of Lincoln.
- Rev. K. William Holoubek — Pastor (St. Anthony of Padua, Steinauer) and Director of the Diocesan Mission Office; residence 310 Hickory St., Steinauer, NE 68441
Sacred Heart Altar Society
The Sacred Heart Altar Society is the principal lay organization of the parish, recognized as a featured parish by the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. It cares for the church building and vestments, decorates the altar through the year, and runs the parish's main fundraisers. The 2024–2026 president is Judy Weston. Spiritual advisors include Rev. Thomas Lux (402-798-7335) and Rev. Thomas McGuire (402-335-3742).
- 2024–2026 President: Judy Weston
- Spiritual Advisors: Rev. Thomas Lux and Rev. Thomas McGuire
- Altar Society contact phone: 402-798-7335
Altar Society Activities & Annual Fundraisers
The Altar Society keeps Sacred Heart running through hands-on service and a busy calendar of community fundraisers. Members clean the church, prepare the priest's vestments, and decorate the altar for the seasons, while also running signature events that benefit both the parish and surrounding Pawnee County.
- Annual Harvest Supper and Quilt Raffle every October
- Advent Baby Shower
- October Diaper Drive
- 2013: Funded full revitalization of the church basement (floor covering, tables, paint) — all labor by members and spouses
- Donations to community clubs, organizations, and food pantries
Contact & Visiting
Because Sacred Heart is a mission of St. Anthony, Steinauer, the parish is administered from the Steinauer rectory. The most direct way to reach the parish is the shared parish phone line.
- Parish phone: 402-869-2256
- Street address: 405 Gage St., Burchard, NE 68323
- Mailing address: 310 Hickory St., Steinauer, NE 68441
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Augustin Rausch1880s
Pastor of St. John, Table Rock, who traveled to Burchard by train twice a month and supervised the 25 families who built the first Sacred Heart Church in 1882. He is also listed in 1883 and 1886 Catholic directories as having Sacred Heart, Burchard as one of his stations.
- Fr. James Gilroy1908
First resident pastor of Sacred Heart; a rectory was built for him in 1908.