About St. Cornelius · Homer, Nebraska
St. Cornelius is a small Catholic mission church located at 410 North 3rd Street in Homer, Nebraska, founded in 1889 with its current church dedicated in 1957. It is not a standalone parish but a Mission of St. Augustine Catholic Church in nearby Winnebago, and together with St. Joseph's in Walthill and Our Lady of Fatima in Macy forms the Holy Apostles Parish Family within the Rural East Deanery of the Archdiocese of Omaha. Sunday worship for the St. Cornelius community is celebrated at 11:00 a.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Winnebago, where Father Mark Beran, the pastor, also serves as Director of St. Augustine Indian Mission. Despite its modest size — Father Beran has described St. Cornelius as a small parish roughly ten minutes from Sioux City, Iowa, with around 40 people at Saturday Mass — it carries a deep heritage rooted in the northeast Nebraska Catholic missionary tradition that began alongside the Winnebago and Omaha reservations.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. Cornelius (Pope Cornelius)
- Rector
- Rev. Mark T. Beran
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Cornelius offers a close-knit, family-style Catholic community in Homer, Nebraska, where roughly forty worshippers gather for Mass each week and everyone knows each other by name. As part of the Holy Apostles Parish Family alongside St. Augustine Indian Mission in Winnebago — the only Catholic institution in Nebraska founded by a canonized saint, St. Katharine Drexel — members share in a ministry that reaches the Omaha and Winnebago reservations. The mission's Parish Council, led by President Bridget Anderson and a dedicated team of trustees and members, keeps the parish actively engaged in faith life, and visitors are warmly welcomed.
Mass times at St. Cornelius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before and After Mass (per staugustinemission.org)
- Saturday 4:45 pm - 5:00 pm (per joinmychurch.com listing)
Identity and Parish Family
St. Cornelius in Homer, Nebraska, is not a standalone parish but a Mission of St. Augustine Catholic Church in nearby Winnebago. Together with St. Joseph's in Walthill and Our Lady of Fatima in Macy, it forms the Holy Apostles Parish Family within the Rural East Deanery of the Archdiocese of Omaha. The mission is administered from the St. Augustine Indian Mission office at One Mission Road, Winnebago.
- Type: Mission of St. Augustine Catholic Church
- Parish family: Holy Apostles Parish Family
- Deanery: Rural East Deanery, Archdiocese of Omaha
- Sister missions: St. Joseph (Walthill), Our Lady of Fatima (Macy)
History
St. Cornelius was founded in 1889 in Homer and the current church at 410 N. 3rd Street was dedicated in 1957. Its history became closely linked with St. Augustine Indian Mission in the early 2000s, beginning in 2004 when Father Dave Korth took over parish responsibilities at St. Cornelius in addition to his role at St. Augustine. Since 2016 the mission has been under the pastoral care of Father Mark Beran, who also serves as Director of St. Augustine Indian Mission.
- 1889 — Parish founded
- 1957 — Current church dedicated
- 2004 — Fr. Dave Korth takes over St. Cornelius parish responsibilities
- 2007 — Fr. Mike Eckley becomes pastor of the four parish communities
- 2016 — Fr. Mark Beran becomes Director of St. Augustine Indian Mission and pastor of St. Cornelius
- 2023 — Fr. Beran named pastor of 11 parishes in the region
Clergy and Staff
The mission is served by the priests and deacon of St. Augustine Indian Mission. Father Mark Beran is pastor; Father Mark Bridgman serves as Associate Pastor; the Archdiocese of Omaha directory also lists Rev. Kevin J. Joyce as Senior Associate. Deacon Donald Blackbird, Jr., a member of the Omaha Tribe, serves the parish family and is also principal of St. Augustine Indian Mission School.
- Rev. Mark T. Beran — Pastor
- Rev. Mark M. Bridgman — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Kevin J. Joyce — Senior Associate
- Deacon Donald Blackbird, Jr. — Deacon / Principal of St. Augustine Indian Mission School
Parish Council and Leadership
St. Cornelius is governed by an active Parish Council whose members are listed on the official website. Two trustees, Don Blackbird, Sr. and Leland Parker, assist with the temporal affairs of the mission.
- President — Bridget Anderson
- Vice President — Sally Reinert
- Secretary/Treasurer — Jean Hummel
- Members — Carol Eloe, Pat Green, Tess Kirkholm, Samantha Loutsch, Dick McNear, Harold Moes
- Trustees — Don Blackbird, Sr.; Leland Parker
Connection to St. Augustine Indian Mission
Because St. Cornelius is a mission of St. Augustine Catholic Church, its parishioners share in the wider ministry of St. Augustine Indian Mission — founded in 1909 by St. Katharine Drexel (canonized 2000), the only Catholic institution in Nebraska directly founded by a canonized saint. The mission school serves about 125 students, kindergarten through eighth grade, from both the Omaha and Winnebago tribes, and is the only Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Omaha created specifically to serve Native American students.
- Founded 1909 by St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
- Only Catholic school in the Omaha Archdiocese serving Native American students
- Students taught both Winnebago and Omaha languages and cultural heritage
- Father Mark Beran serves as Director; Deacon Donald Blackbird, Jr. as principal
- 2023 — new school building dedicated; 2024 — new playground dedicated
Devotions and Faith Life
While St. Cornelius itself is small, the parish family participates in the devotions celebrated at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Winnebago, including veneration of St. Katharine Drexel (foundress) and St. Kateri Tekakwitha (patron of Native peoples). The Kateri Warrior Drum Group, formed in 1993 to teach students traditional singing and dancing around the big drum, continues to perform at liturgy.
- Devotions to St. Katharine Drexel and St. Kateri Tekakwitha
- Kateri Warrior Drum Group (formed 1993)
- Annual plays and community gatherings established since 1911
Visit and Contact
The mission is located at 410 North 3rd Street in Homer, Nebraska, 68030. Visitors are warmly welcomed at Mass and at the parish family's other churches. The mailing phone line for the St. Augustine Indian Mission office is (402) 878-2402, and the Archdiocese of Omaha directory lists (402) 878-2577. Mass attendees also worship regularly at St. Augustine Catholic Church, One Mission Road, Winnebago.
- Address: 410 N 3rd St., Homer, NE 68030
- Phone: (402) 878-2402
- Alternate phone (per archomaha directory): (402) 878-2577
- Sunday worship location: St. Augustine Catholic Church, One Mission Rd., Winnebago
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staugustinemission/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Dave Korth2004-2007 (as pastor of St. Cornelius within the St. Augustine family)
Succeeded Fr. Tom Gall in 2003 as Associate Director of St. Augustine Indian Mission; took over parish responsibilities for St. Cornelius in 2004; became seventh Director of St. Augustine in 2005; later departed St. Augustine in 2016.
- Fr. Mike Eckley2007-?
Became pastor of the four parish communities (including St. Cornelius) in 2007, while serving as Associate Director of the Mission; known as a retreat director and preacher.
- Fr. Mark Beran2016-present
Became new Director of St. Augustine Indian Mission in 2016 and pastor of St. Cornelius along with St. Augustine (Winnebago), St. Joseph (Walthill) and Our Lady of Fatima (Macy); in 2023 named pastor of 11 parishes.