About Sacred Heart · Morse Bluff, Nebraska
Sacred Heart is a Catholic mission church in rural Cedar Hill, near Morse Bluff, Nebraska, in Saunders County. Founded in 1879 and built in 1880 by Czech immigrant settlers, it is one of the oldest Catholic parishes on the Nebraska prairies and is widely believed to be the oldest original Catholic church still in use in the state. Today it is served as a mission from neighboring St. George Parish in Morse Bluff by the same pastor, Rev. Dennis Hunt, within the Diocese of Lincoln's Wahoo Deanery.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Dennis Hunt
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Wahoo Deanery)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart gives rural Saunders County Catholics a beautiful place to worship in a church whose story stretches back to 1879 — the original 1880 building, complete with the charred cornstalks visible in its crawl space, is still in use. As a mission of St. George, Morse Bluff, it shares Sunday Mass (on a rotating 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. schedule), confession before Mass, and a tight-knit Altar Society that looks after the altar and hosts events like the Advent Party and Corpus Christi outdoor altars. It's a small, faithful community rooted in Czech Catholic pioneer heritage.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday — 25 minutes before Mass (about 7:30-7:55 a.m. before the 8:00 a.m. Mass; 9:30-9:55 a.m. before the 10:00 a.m. Mass)
- Saturday (at St. George, Morse Bluff) — 5:30-6:00 p.m.
History of Sacred Heart, Cedar Hill
Sacred Heart was officially formed in 1879, although priests had been visiting the area from St. John's of Prague before then. In March 1880 more than 30 wagon loads of lumber were hauled from Fremont to build the 40-by-60-foot church over a burned-off cornfield. The charred cornstalks from that final crop are still visible in the crawl space under the building. Mrs. Harriet Noteware, the wife of the settler after whom Cedar Hill was named, donated roughly 15 acres and lobbied the Bishop of Omaha by letter to make the parish a reality.
- Parish officially founded: 1879
- Original church built: March 1880
- Front extended with bell tower and entrance, plus a sanctuary and sacristy added to the east: 1924
- Separated from St. John's, Prague and became mother parish of new St. George parish, Morse Bluff: July 1, 1945
- Reclassified as mission to St. George after St. George's was completed: 1955
Architecture and the Original 1880 Building
The 40-by-60-foot wood-frame structure has never burned or been replaced and is believed to be the oldest original Catholic church still in use in Nebraska. In 1924 it was extended west with a bell tower and entrance and east with a sanctuary and sacristy, but the 1880 walls stand in excellent condition. The charred remnants of the corn that once grew on the site can still be seen in the crawl space beneath the church, an enduring reminder of its pioneer origins.
- Original dimensions: 40 ft x 60 ft
- 1924 additions: bell tower / west entrance, sanctuary / sacristy to the east
- A cemetery, parish hall, and church farm surround the building on the Noteware-donated grounds
Altar Society and Parish Life
Sacred Heart's women, organized through the parish Altar Society, keep the church running and host the parish's signature fellowship and outreach events throughout the year. Coffee and rolls are served after Mass on the second Sunday of the month, and First Communicants and graduates are honored at a parish brunch. The Society also supports a diaper drive and an annual Pro-Life Collection for St. Gianna's, Catholic Social Services, and the Lincoln Pregnancy Crisis Center, and decorates outdoor altars each year for Corpus Christi.
- Honor graduates and First Communicants with a brunch
- Diaper drive and Pro-Life Collection (St. Gianna's, CSS, Lincoln Pregnancy Crisis Center)
- Soup Lunch / Bake Sale fundraiser
- Coffee & rolls after the 2nd Sunday Mass
- Maintain altar needs and church cleaning
- Honor living and deceased mothers / fathers on Mothers' and Fathers' Day
- Advent Party
- Corpus Christi outdoor-altar decorating
Diocese and Deanery
Sacred Heart sits within the Wahoo Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln. It shares clergy and website (stgmbne.com) with its mother parish, St. George, Morse Bluff. Parish records are kept under the Diocese of Lincoln's directory entry #686, and the parish also participates in the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (Wahoo-York Deaneries), where it has been honored with historical-highlights recognition.
- Diocese: Diocese of Lincoln
- Deanery: Wahoo
- Parish directory ID: 686
- Mother parish (since 1945/1955): St. George, 260 Short St, Morse Bluff, NE
Visiting Sacred Heart
The parish mailing address is PO Box 98, Morse Bluff, NE 68648, even though the church itself sits at 2750 County Road 27, Cedar Hill, just a few miles north in rural Saunders County. Visitors are welcome at any of the Sunday Masses and at the Friday or Saturday morning weekday Masses; confession is heard 25 minutes before each Mass. The parish office line is shared with St. George and is also the rectory line for the pastor.
- Street address: 2750 County Road 27, Cedar Hill, NE 68648
- Mailing address: PO Box 98, Morse Bluff, NE 68648
- Phone: (402) 666-5280
- Website (shared with St. George): http://stgmbne.com/