About St. Aloysius · Aloys, Nebraska
St. Aloysius Catholic Church is a small rural parish in the unincorporated community of Aloys, in Cuming County, Nebraska, within the Archdiocese of Omaha. Founded in 1891, it celebrated its 125th anniversary on the feast of its patron, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, on June 21, 2016, when Archbishop George Lucas presided at a special Mass and blessed the parish's Rosary Grotto. Today the parish is one of ten churches of the St. Joseph Family of Parishes (also known as Rural Family F), sharing priests and ministry with St. Mary's in West Point and other surrounding parishes.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga
- Rector
- Rev. James M. Weeder
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Aloysius offers a small, generations-old Catholic community in the heart of Cuming County farm country, with a weekly Sunday Mass and the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Parishioners share in a wider St. Joseph Family of Parishes network that brings together ten rural parishes served by three priests, and they are active in devotional life such as the weekly Tuesday Rosary at the Grotto led by the St. Aloysius Guild (May–October). New families and individuals are warmly invited to register with the parish office so the staff can assist with baptisms, marriages, illness, and funerals.
Mass times at St. Aloysius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:00–7:30 AM (30 minutes prior to Mass)
- Or by appointment
Parish Identity & Patron
St. Aloysius is named for St. Aloysius Gonzaga, the Italian Jesuit who died in 1591 while caring for plague victims in Rome. The parish's patron feast day, June 21, is the central annual celebration of the community and in 2016 marked the parish's 125th anniversary, with Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha presiding at a special evening Mass followed by the blessing of the parish's outdoor Rosary Grotto.
- Patron: St. Aloysius Gonzaga
- Feast day: June 21
- 125th anniversary celebrated June 21, 2016 with Archbishop Lucas
History
Founded in 1891 to serve the small rural crossroads of Aloys in Cuming County, the parish has served multiple generations of northeast Nebraska farm families. A blog account of the 2016 anniversary recalls that one of the men who originally dug the church basement was a great-grandfather of an attendee — a reminder of how rooted the parish remains in founding families. Adjacent to the church sits the Saint Aloysius Catholic Cemetery, which holds an estimated 258 memorials.
- Founded 1891 in Cuming County, Nebraska
- Parish basement dug by hand by early parishioners
- Saint Aloysius Catholic Cemetery on site (258 memorials)
Devotions & the Rosary Grotto
The St. Aloysius Guild leads a community Rosary at the parish's outdoor Grotto every Tuesday at 7:00 PM from May through October, and everyone is welcome. The Grotto itself was blessed by Archbishop Lucas immediately after the 125th anniversary Mass in 2016 and has become a focal point of the parish's devotional life.
- Tuesday Rosary at the Grotto, 7:00 PM, May–October
- Grotto blessed by Archbishop Lucas in 2016
Parish Staff & Council
St. Aloysius is served by three priests of the St. Joseph Family of Parishes and has its own lay leadership team. The Parish Council President is Randy Ortmeier; music is coordinated by Carol Bourek; liturgy by Sheila Sindelar; the parish staff team includes Melann Wiechman and RaNae O'Brien.
- Pastor: Rev. James M. Weeder
- Senior Associate: Rev. Walter W. Jong-A-Kiem
- Associate: Rev. Matthias Sule
- Parish Council President: Randy Ortmeier
- Music: Carol Bourek
- Liturgist: Sheila Sindelar
St. Joseph Family of Parishes
St. Aloysius is one of ten rural parishes in the Archdiocese of Omaha's St. Joseph Family of Parishes (sometimes called Rural Family F), serving communities in Cuming and Dodge Counties including West Point, Beemer, Dodge, Howells, Monterey, Olean, St. Charles, and Wisner. The family shares three priests — Fr. James Weeder (pastor), Fr. Walter Jong-A-Kiem (senior associate), and Fr. Matthias Sule (associate) — and operates a central parish office at 343 N. Monitor St., West Point, NE 68788, phone (402) 372-2188. The family's weekend Mass schedule includes Saturday Vigil Masses at St. Boniface (Monterey) at 4:30 PM, Sts. Peter & Paul (Howells) at 5:00 PM, and St. Mary's (West Point) at 6:00 PM, plus a Spanish Mass at St. Mary's (West Point) at 11:30 AM on Sundays.
- Ten parishes serving Beemer, Dodge, Howells, Monterey, Olean, St. Charles, West Point, and Wisner
- Central office: 343 N. Monitor St., West Point, NE 68788 — (402) 372-2188
- Website: stjosephfamilyofparishes.org
- Spanish Mass Sundays 11:30 AM at St. Mary's, West Point
Parish Ministries
The parish's lay ministries center on liturgy, music, and the devotional Rosary. The St. Aloysius Guild, which leads the weekly Tuesday Rosary at the Grotto, is the most visible parish organization, supported by a Parish Council (President Randy Ortmeier), a liturgist (Sheila Sindelar), and a music director (Carol Bourek).
- St. Aloysius Guild (Rosary at the Grotto)
- Parish Council — Randy Ortmeier, President
- Liturgy team — Sheila Sindelar, Liturgist
- Music ministry — Carol Bourek
Sacraments
Reconciliation is offered before Sunday Mass or by appointment. The parish office coordinates Baptisms, Marriages, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral arrangements for registered parishioners; new families and individuals are encouraged to register with the office so staff can assist with these sacraments at times of need.
- Reconciliation: Sunday 7:00–7:30 AM or by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral preparation through the Family of Parishes office
Contact & Location
The parish is located at 700 Highway 32 in rural Aloys, Nebraska (Cuming County), with a West Point mailing address of 68788. The main parish phone line, (402) 372-2188, routes through the St. Joseph Family of Parishes office at 343 N. Monitor St., West Point. The pastor, Fr. James Weeder, can be reached by email at [email protected]. Current information and bulletins are posted on the family website at stjosephfamilyofparishes.org; the legacy site wpstmary.com also continues to reference the Aloys parish.
- Address: 700 Highway 32, Aloys (West Point), NE 68788
- Phone: (402) 372-2188
- Email: [email protected]
- Family website: stjosephfamilyofparishes.org
- Legacy site: wpstmary.com