About St. Cecilia · Hastings, Nebraska
St. Cecilia Catholic Church is the oldest Catholic parish in Hastings, Nebraska, founded on March 25, 1878, when most of its sixty founding families were Irish immigrants (Farrells, Malones, Horrigans, Brennans, Monahans, McKennas, Kernans, Mitchells, Kennedys, and others). Today it serves as the mother parish of the Hastings Deanery within the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, anchoring Hastings Catholic Schools (grades 6–12) and offering Mass in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The present brick church — designed by local architect C.W. Way and dedicated on December 22, 1912 — remains one of the most striking worship spaces in south-central Nebraska.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- St. Cecilia (patroness of music)
- Rector
- Rev. Craig Clinch
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Lincoln (Hastings Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Cecilia offers one of the most liturgically diverse schedules in the Lincoln Diocese — daily Mass, a Saturday Vigil, three Sunday Masses in English, a Spanish Mass, and a monthly Vietnamese Mass — making it a true spiritual home for the multicultural Hastings community. The parish anchors Hastings Catholic Schools (St. Cecilia Middle & High School, grades 6–12) and runs a robust Religious Education program including CCD, GodTeen youth ministry, retreats, and the Alpha-based OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation) for adults. Add the historic 1912 church, an active Altar Society, Knights of Columbus fish fries, and a long tradition of Catholic education dating to 1878, and St. Cecilia is the natural home for any Catholic family in the Hastings area.
Mass times at St. Cecilia
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM
- Sunday 7:30–7:50 AM, 9:30–9:50 AM, and 7:00–7:20 PM
- Weekdays: 20 minutes prior to Mass
About St. Cecilia Catholic Church
St. Cecilia Catholic Church is the mother parish of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln's Hastings Deanery, founded March 25, 1878, when most of its sixty founding families were Irish immigrants to Adams County. The parish worships in the historic 1912 Way-designed church at 620 N Kansas Ave and runs the offices at 301 W 7th Street. Under Pastor Rev. Craig Clinch, with Parochial Vicars Rev. Matthew Schilmoeller and Rev. Dominic Phan and In-residence priest Rev. Cyrus Rowan (also Chief Administrative Officer of Hastings Catholic Schools), St. Cecilia ministers to a diverse congregation with Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Our History
St. Cecilia's beginnings are intertwined with Irish settlement of Adams County. Rev. Ferdinand Lechleitner celebrated the first Hastings Mass in 1874 at the home of Thomas E. Farrell, and four years later, on March 25, 1878, the parish was formally established. A frame church followed in 1879, and by 1911 Pastor Father William H. McDonald was ready to build the present brick church, designed by C.W. Way, erected by Hempel and Kealy, and dedicated December 22, 1912. The debt was retired in 1919 in a dramatic one-hour locked-door appeal. The parish continued to expand: 1940 interior beautification, 1964 high school/gym/convent/rectory, 1978 parish hall (centennial), 1995–96 church renovation with new pipe organ, and the 2007 Centennial Hall project blessed by Bishop Bruskewitz on November 22, 2008.
- 1878 — Parish founded March 25
- 1879 — Frame church completed
- 1911 — Cornerstone laid Nov. 22 by Bishop J. Henry Tihen
- 1912 — Present church dedicated Dec. 22; cost $62,000
- 1919 — Building debt of $19,000 retired in under one hour
- 1940 — Interior beautification rededicated July 7
- 1964 — New high school, gymnasium, convent, and rectory
- 1978 — Centennial Hall built
- 1995–96 — Church renovated; new pipe organ installed
- 2008 — Centennial Hall extension blessed Nov. 22 by Bishop Bruskewitz
Architecture & the Historic Church
The 1912 church is a steel-framed, column-free building sheathed in brown Persian tapestry brick — the first of its kind used in Hastings — with a red-tile roof and American art stone traceries. C.W. Way designed it; Hempel and Kealy built it; Hastings Foundry and Iron Works fabricated the steel, which was joined with hot-fired rivets (no welds) hoisted up to 90 feet. The organ is a Hutchings' Opus 228, and the ribbed ceiling with parallel Gothic arches over the side aisles gives the interior its striking Gothic Revival feel.
- 148 ft × 74 ft footprint
- North tower 95 ft; south tower 75 ft
- Nave 95 ft long, 58 ft wide; ceiling apex 42 ft
- Steel rivet construction (no welds)
- Hutchings' Opus 228 pipe organ
- Brown Persian tapestry brick and red-tile roof
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by a team of three resident priests plus one in-residence priest who serves as Chief Administrative Officer of Hastings Catholic Schools.
- Rev. Craig Clinch — Pastor
- Rev. Matthew Schilmoeller — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Dominic Phan — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Cyrus Rowan — In residence; CAO, Hastings Catholic Schools
- Penny Moritz — Administrative Assistant
Religious Education & Youth Ministry
St. Cecilia's Religious Education program includes ongoing faith formation for children (CCD), the GodTeen youth ministry, and parish retreats. Adult formation is provided through the Alpha-based OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), which meets Sundays at 5:00 PM at the parish.
- CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine)
- GodTeen youth ministry
- Parish retreats
- OCIA / Alpha Program — Sundays 5:00 PM
Hastings Catholic Schools — St. Cecilia Middle & High School
St. Cecilia's parochial school has been a cornerstone of Catholic education in Hastings since 1912, when it opened with 75 students in the Knights of Columbus Hall. Today it operates as part of unified Hastings Catholic Schools (formed in 1966 with neighboring St. Michael Parish), serving grades 6–12 as St. Cecilia Middle & High School at 401 West 6th Street, Hastings. The school reports 242 students, 25 faculty, six priests, and two religious serving the community. Rev. Cyrus Rowan, CAO, leads the system.
- Grades served: 6–12
- Enrollment: 242 students
- 25 faculty; 6 priests and 2 religious serving the school
- Address: 401 West 6th Street, Hastings, NE 68901
- School phone: 402-462-2105
- Originally founded 1912; first high school class graduated May 1935
Parish Life, Altar Society & Knights of Columbus
Beyond the sanctuary, St. Cecilia is sustained by long-standing lay organizations. The Altar Society cleans and tends the church and hall, hosts receptions for First Communion and Confirmation, serves funeral dinners, and provides coffee and rolls after the 1st-Sunday Mass; it also supports the annual LDCCW Diaper Drive, Catholic Social Services, and Knights of Columbus fish fries. The KC fish fry is a signature parish fundraiser.
- Altar Society: church/hall care, receptions, funeral dinners, 1st-Sunday coffee & rolls
- Knights of Columbus fish fry fundraiser
- LDCCW Diaper Drive and Catholic Social Services support
Sacraments & Sacramental Emergencies
St. Cecilia prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion) and continues to journey with adults through OCIA. Sacramental emergencies (Anointing of the Sick, last rites) are handled through the parish's emergency line.
- Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion
- Matrimony preparation
- OCIA — Alpha Program, Sundays 5:00 PM
- Sacramental Emergencies: 402-463-1336
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Ferdinand Lechleitnerpre-1878
Pastor of Crete Catholic Church and its missions; celebrated the first Mass in Hastings in 1874 at the home of Thomas E. Farrell.
- Rev. William H. McDonaldc. 1909–1912+
The pastor who inspired and oversaw the building of the present church, dedicated Dec. 22, 1912.
- Right Reverend Monsignor Grogan
Recalled in 1964 the cost of the 1912 church ($62,000) and the 35-cent hourly wage of its bricklayers.