About St. Augustine · Schuyler, Nebraska
St. Augustine is one of the historic Catholic churches of Schuyler, Nebraska, built in 1909 in brick to replace the original 1878 wood-frame church that had served the town's first Catholic settlers. In 2008 it was merged with neighboring St. Mary's Church under the new name Divine Mercy Parish, the umbrella Catholic community administered from the parish office at 308 W. 10th Street. St. Augustine's, at 6th & Banner Street, remains one of the two worship sites of the parish and is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Omaha.
- Established
- 1878 (original wooden church); 1909 (current brick church)
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Fr. Jairo E. Congote
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Augustine offers a richly bilingual Catholic life, with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish nearly every day of the week, plus First Friday and First Saturday devotions, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and the sacrament of Confession before every weekend Mass. The parish supports an active Catholic Faith Formation program, a Knights of Columbus council, the Legion of Mary, the Women of Divine Mercy, a Charismatic Renewal group, and a full set of liturgical ministries — altar servers, lectors, musicians, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, and sacristans. As part of the merged Divine Mercy Parish, it welcomes every Catholic nationality that helped build Schuyler, exactly as the original 1878 church did.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 – 4:45 p.m.
- Or anytime by request
Adoration times
- Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
History of St. Augustine Church
St. Augustine traces its roots to 1878, when Schuyler's first Catholic settlers pooled their resources and built a small wooden church for $700. That humble building served every Catholic nationality in the young community for thirty-one years. In 1909 the parish erected the brick St. Augustine Church that still stands on Banner Street. The original frame church was then turned over to the Czech-speaking faithful, who used it until St. Mary's Church was built for them in 1914. A century later, in 2008, the two parishes were merged into Divine Mercy Parish.
- 1878 — first St. Augustine's Church built (wood, $700)
- 1909 — current brick St. Augustine Church constructed
- 1914 — St. Mary's Church built for Czech parishioners
- 2008 — merger of St. Augustine's and St. Mary's into Divine Mercy Parish
Divine Mercy Parish
Since 2008, St. Augustine's has worshipped alongside St. Mary's as part of Divine Mercy Parish. The parish mission statement — 'Our mission is to be a living sign of God reflecting the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ' — gives the merged community its name and its focus. The unified Parish Office is at 308 W. 10th Street and is staffed by a pastor, a retired priest-in-residence, four deacons, and a team of secretaries, bookkeepers, and maintenance staff.
- Pastor: Fr. Jairo E. Congote
- Retired Pastor: Fr. Gerry Gonderinger
- Parish Office: 308 W. 10th Street, Schuyler
- Pastoral Team includes four deacons and bilingual staff
Worship Sites
Divine Mercy Parish worships in two historic churches. St. Augustine's, at 6th & Banner, is the 1909 brick church and the older of the two. St. Mary's, at 11th & Banner, was built in 1914. Between them the parish offers Mass every day of the week in both English and Spanish, accommodating the bilingual character of Schuyler.
- St. Augustine Church — 619 Banner St.
- St. Mary's Church — 1019 Banner St.
Clergy & Staff
Divine Mercy Parish is led by Pastor Fr. Jairo E. Congote, with retired Fr. Gerry Gonderinger continuing in ministry. Four deacons serve the bilingual community, and lay staff handle the parish office, Catholic Faith Formation, finances, and facilities. The full published team from parish bulletins is listed below.
- Fr. Jairo E. Congote — Pastor
- Fr. Gerry Gonderinger — Retired Pastor
- Deacon Danny Hastings — also Facilities Manager
- Deacon Paul Doerneman
- Deacon Librado Maiz
- Deacon Pablo Tovar
- Patricia Gonzalez — Bookkeeper/Secretary
- Yenny Delgado & Sue Heavican — Secretaries
- Renee Blum — Director of Religious Education
- Adriana Alarcon — CFF Secretary
- Jim Gonsior & Mauricio Rocha — Maintenance
Catholic Faith Formation
The parish runs a Catholic Faith Formation (CFF) program for school-aged children, based at 320 W. 10th Street. The program is led by DRE Renee Blum with secretary Adriana Alarcon, and supports the sacramental preparation of Confirmation, First Communion, and First Reconciliation.
- Office: 320 W. 10th Street, Schuyler
- Phone: (402) 352-2149
- Director: Renee Blum
Liturgical Ministries
The parish website describes a full roster of lay liturgical ministries, all coordinated with bilingual (English/Spanish) sign-ups and rotating schedules called Minister Calendars. New ministers are encouraged to contact the Parish Office.
- Altar Servers / Monaguillos
- Lectors
- Musicians (Spanish and English choirs)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (including nursing-home and home visits)
- Ushers / Greeters
- Sacristans
Parish Organizations
Beyond the liturgy, several parish societies bring the community together for service and prayer. The Women of Divine Mercy host funeral dinners, KC banquets, bake sales, and clothing drives, and support Faith Formation with Bibles and workbooks. The Legion of Mary meets weekly for prayer, family visitation, and works of mercy. The Charismatic Renewal group cultivates a prayerful, Spirit-centered fellowship.
- Women of Divine Mercy — monthly meetings 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
- Legion of Mary / Legión de María — weekly praesidium meeting
- Knights of Columbus (KC)
- Charismatic Renewal
- Rosary Crusade — Carol Hastings
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments, including Baptism, Marriage, Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. Sacramental preparation for children is coordinated through Catholic Faith Formation; adults seeking initiation should contact the Parish Office.
- Baptism
- First Communion & First Reconciliation
- Confirmation
- Marriage (preparation required)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders — vocation support through the Archdiocese of Omaha
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach Divine Mercy Parish through the office at 308 W. 10th Street, by phone at (402) 352-3540, or by email at [email protected]. The parish website at divinemercyschuyler.com lists weekly bulletins, ministry calendars (in English and Spanish), and contact information for each church.
- Parish Office: 308 W. 10th St., Schuyler, NE 68661
- Phone: (402) 352-3540
- Email: [email protected]
- Faith Formation Phone: (402) 352-2149
- Website: divinemercyschuyler.com