About Sacred Heart · Lincoln, Nebraska
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a historic parish in northeast Lincoln, Nebraska, belonging to the Diocese of Lincoln. Founded in 1919 under the care of the Irish Capuchin Franciscans with just 67 charter families, it has served the community for over a century at its current 31st and T Street campus. Today the parish offers a full sacramental life — daily Mass, frequent confession, Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation for all ages, a parish school, and outreach through groups like the Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul — and is pastored by Msgr. Timothy Thorburn with Fr. Paul Frank as assistant pastor.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Msgr. Timothy Thorburn
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a historic northeast Lincoln parish that warmly celebrates the full rhythm of Catholic life: a daily 8:15 a.m. Mass, four weekend Masses, frequent confession, First Friday Adoration and ongoing Eucharistic Adoration. Parishioners can grow in faith through RCIA, the parish school, CCD on Sunday mornings, GodTeens/CYO youth nights, the Benedict XVI School of Catechesis, Emmaus Instituto of Biblical Studies with Dr. Vern Steiner, and the parish-funded FORMED subscription. A vibrant array of organizations — Altar Society, Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Prayer Chain, Quilting and Cleaning Committees, Fellowship Group, 1st Saturday Coffee, and the Parish and Finance Councils — make it easy to find community and service.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday – Saturday: 7:45 – 8:05 a.m.
- Saturday: 4:00 – 4:50 p.m. (Diocese of Lincoln directory lists this window as 4:00 – 4:45 p.m.)
- Sunday: 7:00 – 7:20 a.m.
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: begins with the 8:15 a.m. Mass, followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 3:00 p.m. (Adoration Coordinator: Julie Adams)
- Eucharistic Adoration is also held Fridays through Monday, with Benediction on the First Friday of the month
Parish History
Sacred Heart Parish was established by decree on July 15, 1919 by Bishop Charles J. O'Reilly of the Diocese of Lincoln and entrusted to the Irish Capuchin Franciscans, who celebrated the first Mass for 67 charter families on September 14, 1919. The parish grew rapidly: a hall was built by Christmas 1919, the parish moved to its present 31st and T Streets site in 1926, and a combination church-school-parish hall was dedicated by Bishop Beckman on December 18, 1927. The Capuchins withdrew in 1937, diocesan priests took over, and in 1953–54 Monsignor Howard B. Hart built the present church, dedicated by Bishop L.B. Kucera on December 22, 1954. The parish has continued to thrive under a succession of pastors and now houses the Knights of the Holy Eucharist in its old convent (the Sacred Heart Friary).
- Founded July 15, 1919; first Mass September 14, 1919
- First location: 25th and Y Streets, Lincoln
- Present campus at 31st and T Streets since 1926
- 1927 combination church/school/parish hall still in use as school and parish hall
- Present church built 1953–1954; cornerstone January 10, 1954; dedicated December 22, 1954
- Irish Capuchins staffed the parish 1919–1937
- Msgr. Howard B. Hart pastored 31 years (1939–1970)
- Knights of the Holy Eucharist resident in the old convent since 2016
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by pastor Msgr. Timothy Thorburn with Fr. Paul Frank serving as assistant pastor. The parish office team supports the day-to-day work of the parish and its school.
- Msgr. Timothy Thorburn — Pastor (email: [email protected])
- Fr. Paul Frank — Assistant Pastor
- Linda Conroy — Secretary
- Tim Menke — Facilities Manager
- Nik Barger — Director of Music
- Sr. Mary-Claire — parish staff
- Julie Adams — Adoration Coordinator
- Tabby — coordinator for the Pink Sisters' perpetual adoration hour sign-ups (402-499-6028)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Sacred Heart offers a layered formation program for children, youth and adults, anchored by the parish school and the Sunday CCD program. Adult parishioners benefit from the parish's sponsorship of the diocesan Benedict XVI School of Catechesis and the Emmaus Instituto of Biblical Studies (with biblical scholar Dr. Vern Steiner), and from a parish-paid subscription to FORMED.
- Sacred Heart Catholic School (campus gym at 31st and T)
- CCD — Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- GodTeens / CYO — meets 7:00–8:30 p.m. every second Sunday during the school year
- Benedict XVI School of Catechesis (diocesan adult formation hosted in Lincoln)
- Emmaus Instituto of Biblical Studies with Dr. Vern Steiner
- FORMED — free digital platform, paid for by the parish
- Word on Fire Institute — digital membership with live presentations and community discussions
Parish Organizations & Outreach
A large number of lay organizations keep the parish running and connect parishioners in service, fellowship and prayer. Many of these groups, like the Altar Society, Holy Name Society and St. Vincent de Paul Society, have roots going back nearly a century.
- Parish Council and Finance Council
- Building Committee / "Building Our Future"
- Altar Society (founded 1922)
- BVM Sodality (founded 1922)
- Holy Name Society
- Prayer Chain
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Knights of Columbus
- Quilting Committee
- Cleaning Committees
- Fellowship Group
- 1st Saturday Coffee
Sacred Heart Catholic School
Sacred Heart Catholic School has been in continuous operation since the fall of 1929, when it was opened under the direction of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) of Dubuque, Iowa. The BVMs taught at the school for 70 years, growing enrollment from 115 students in 1929 to a peak of 376 in 1958; they were honored at a 40th anniversary celebration on November 24, 1968. The school choir also sang at area institutions for Christmas and Easter. The original 1927 combination building still houses classrooms, and a gym is located on the campus at 31st and T Street.
- Founded 1929 under the Sisters of Charity BVM of Dubuque, Iowa
- 56 BVM sisters served the school over 40 years (1929–1968/1999)
- Peak enrollment of 376 students in 1958
- 1968: 40th anniversary of the BVMs celebrated November 24, 1968
- School gym on 31st and T Street used for parish dinners and fundraisers
Religious Communities at Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart's old convent has been a home to religious life in three distinct eras. First the Sisters of Charity of the BVM lived and taught there for seventy years. After they departed in 1999, five Brothers of the Servants Minor of St. Francis from Scranton, Pennsylvania moved in on the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, September 12, 2001, reaching out to the poor and the parish's youth. Since 2016 the building — now called the Sacred Heart Friary — has housed the Knights of the Holy Eucharist, a community of consecrated lay Franciscan brothers dedicated to adoring Jesus in the Eucharist and serving shrines and bishops.
- Sisters of Charity BVM, Dubuque — 1929 to 1999
- Brothers of the Servants Minor of St. Francis — 2001 to circa 2016
- Knights of the Holy Eucharist — resident since 2016 in the Sacred Heart Friary
Bulletin & News
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin with Mass intentions, announcements, and the Holy Week and First Friday schedules. Recent issues are available on the parish website under "Get Involved > Bulletin." The bulletin carries notices about First Friday Adoration, Building Our Future envelopes, Holy Hour at the Pink Sisters, and parish events such as the Lenten fish fry and parish fundraisers in the school gym.
- Weekly bulletin available as PDF on sacredheartlincoln.org
- Office hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- First Friday for April is the 4th (per 2025 bulletin)
- Lenten fish fry Friday, March 22, 2024, 4:30–7:00 p.m. in the school gym
Facilities & Practical Info
The parish rectory, church, school and parish hall share a single campus anchored by 31st and T Streets. The rectory is at 3128 S Street. Parish Hall Rental is offered for community events, and the parish recently completed a major Parish Hall project without taking on debt, though the church doors are next on the facility improvement list.
- Rectory: 3128 S Street, Lincoln NE 68503-3297
- Phone: (402) 476-2610
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish Hall Rental available — see website
- Recently completed Parish Hall project (no debt incurred)
- "Building Our Future" envelopes for ongoing capital needs (furnaces, roofs, church doors)
Parish Boundaries
Per the parish's published history, the current Sacred Heart boundaries enclose a large swath of northeast Lincoln: 20th Street on the west, the north side of O Street on the south, Hartley Street on the north, and on the east 56th Street from O Street to Holdrege Street and 48th Street from Holdrege Street to Hartley Street.
- West: 20th Street
- South: north side of O Street
- North: Hartley Street
- East: 56th Street (O Street to Holdrege) and 48th Street (Holdrege to Hartley)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Casimir Butler, O.F.M. Cap.September 14, 1919 (first Mass celebrated for the 67 charter members)
Offered the inaugural Mass of the new parish in the rectory before Walsh was formally installed.
- Fr. Edward Walsh, O.F.M. Cap.1919–1922
First pastor and superior; supervised construction of the original 25th & Y Street hall; first Mass said in it Christmas Day 1919.
- Fr. Adrian Sharkey, O.F.M. Cap.1922–1925
During his tenure the Altar Society and BVM Sodality were formed.
- Fr. Raphael Quinn, O.F.M. Cap.1925–1934
Moved the parish to its present 31st & T Street site in 1926; served nine years.
- Fr. Terrence Anglin, O.F.M. Cap.1934–1937
Succeeded Fr. Quinn; school enrollment hit 136 students; the parish name was officially changed to Sacred Heart Parish of Lincoln, Nebraska in 1937.
- Fr. Thomas M. Kealy1937–1938
First diocesan pastor after the Capuchins withdrew; later appointed diocesan director of the pilgrimage to the 1938 International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest.
- Fr. George J. Schuster1938–1939
Newly ordained, served during Fr. Kealy's absence and then went on to Catholic University of America.
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Howard B. Hart1939–1970
Longest-serving pastor (31 years); installed August 29, 1939; oversaw the building of the present church (1953–54), the 1946 Novena to Our Sorrowful Mother, and began Perpetual Adoration in May 1967.
- Fr. Raymond Hain1970–1974
Direct successor to Msgr. Hart.
- Fr. Frank Machovec1971–1980
- Fr. Dale Hardes, O.M.I.1980–1982
Missionary of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
- Fr. Ronald E. Patterson1982–1998
A member of Sacred Heart Parish, ordained here on March 20, 1964 by Bishop James V. Casey; returned as pastor.
- Fr. Steven P. Major1998–2000
- Fr. Thomas R. Walsh2000–2010
Installed by Bishop Brusk, who exhorted him to be 'a pastor after the Sacred Heart of Jesus.'
- Fr. Mike Moran2010–2015
- Fr. Leo Kosch2015
Per the parish history listing; succeeded by Msgr. Thorburn.
- Msgr. Timothy Thorburnpresent
Current pastor.