About St. Jane Frances de Chantal · Randolph, Nebraska
St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church is a historic rural parish in Randolph, Nebraska, founded in 1892 and named after the 17th-century French saint who founded the Religious Community of the Visitation. The parish is celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2017 and is currently a member of the Holy Spirit Catholic Parishes family, a cluster of seven rural parishes across northeast Nebraska served together under the Archdiocese of Omaha. The church itself is a graceful modified Romanesque brick structure built in 1917 with a Carrara marble altar imported from Italy, and continues to serve Catholic families in the Randolph community through weekend Mass, religious education, and active parish organizations.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- St. Jane Frances de Chantal
- Rector
- Father Kevin Vogel
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Jane Frances de Chantal offers a warmly rooted, multigenerational Catholic community in rural northeast Nebraska, with weekly Sunday Mass, a parish school tradition dating back to 1899, and a parish cemetery. The parish is paired with neighboring Catholic communities through the Holy Spirit Catholic Parishes family, giving parishioners access to a broader Catholic high school, religious education across grades K–12, and adult faith formation, while still keeping the intimate feel of a single-town parish. Active lay organizations — PCCW, Knights of Columbus, Christian Mothers, Catholic Order of Foresters, and a Stewardship Council — make it easy to get involved in the life of the parish.
Mass times at St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM (30 minutes before Sunday Mass)
- Wednesday 7:40 AM (30 minutes before Wednesday Mass)
History of St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Catholic life in Randolph began on April 9, 1889, when Father Charles Mugan said the first Mass for five or six townspeople. A small 24-by-40-foot wooden church was completed in 1892 under the supervision of Father Henry Loecker, and Father Albert Hork became the first resident pastor in 1894. By 1899 a Catholic school was established, staffed by the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee — it was their first assignment in Nebraska. Growth made a larger church necessary, and in 1917 the present Romanesque brick church was erected with a Carrara marble altar imported from Italy. The parish school continued to expand through the 20th century but closed in 1970; CCD religious education took its place and continues today as the PREP program.
- 1889 — Father Charles Mugan celebrates first Mass in Randolph (April 9)
- 1892 — First wooden church completed; first Mass celebrated Easter Sunday
- 1894 — Father Albert Hork arrives as first resident pastor
- 1898 — Rev. Casimir Renner appointed; enlarges church and founds the school
- 1899 — Parish school opens with 140 students and four School Sisters of St. Francis
- 1914 — St. Frances de Chantal High School opens under Father Bernard Lordemann
- 1917 — Present Romanesque brick church built (seating 600)
- 1918 — First Mass in the new church celebrated June 30, 1918
- 1919 — Bishop Bonacum blesses the new church on June 4
- 1963–66 — New brick school built at a cost of $341,000
- 1970 — Parish school closes; CCD/PREP religious education begins
- 1985 — Custom pipe organ installed and dedicated October 27, 1985
- 2009 — Sanctuary repainted by Reeder Originals of Norfolk; cathedral-like interior
- 2017 — 125th anniversary (Q125 Celebration)
Patron Saint — St. Jane Frances de Chantal
The parish is named after St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a 17th-century French woman who founded the Religious Community of the Visitation, dedicated to training and providing teachers for young people in her time. Her feast day is celebrated on August 12.
- Patron: St. Jane Frances de Chantal
- Feast Day: August 12
Parish Clergy and Staff
St. Jane Frances is currently pastored by Rev. Owen W. Korte, with Rev. Kevin Vogel serving as Associate Pastor. Deacon Doug Tunink ministers to the Randolph parish and serves on the Stewardship Council's Finance Committee. The St. Jane office is staffed by Mag Borst; parish-wide business is managed by Kay Lammers, with Janet Creamer and Kathie Dresden as secretaries at the Hartington parish office.
- Rev. Owen W. Korte — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Kevin Vogel — Associate Pastor ([email protected], 402-337-0644)
- Deacon Doug Tunink — 402-360-1384, [email protected]
- Mag Borst — St. Jane Frances Office contact
- Kay Lammers — Business Manager
- Cindy Burns — Local Bookkeeper
Parish Organizations
St. Jane Frances has a rich tradition of lay-led parish organizations that foster community life and stewardship. The Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) keeps parishioners informed and supports the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters serve the men's apostolate, while the Christian Mothers confraternity supports women in their vocation as wives and mothers.
- Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) — Co-Presidents Ann Thieman & Renae Nordhues
- Knights of Columbus — Bishop O'Connor Court #1304; St. Frances de Chantal Council #5143, Grand Knight Mike Dowling
- Christian Mothers — national confraternity for women
- Catholic Order of Foresters — parish branch
Stewardship Council and Leadership
Parish governance is carried out by a Stewardship Council that includes Finance and Pastoral Council representatives, the local bookkeeper, the business manager, the maintenance lead, and the heads of parish organizations.
- Cindy Burns — Local Bookkeeper
- Kay Lammers — Business Manager
- Finance Committee: Joe Groen, Jeanne Keifer, LaDonna Leiting, Deacon Doug Tunink, Rick Korth
- Pastoral Council: Becky Miller, Marcus Papenhausen
- Marvin Nordhues — Maintenance
- Parish Trustees — contact Mag Borst, 402-337-0644
Religious Education (PREP / CCD)
After the parish school closed in 1970, a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) religious education program was introduced, and the 1957 convent building was renamed the 'CCD Center' for religious education classes. Today the program is called PREP (Parish Religious Education Program) and operates on Wednesdays from September through April, with a separate coordinator and volunteer catechists from the parish.
- PREP meets on Wednesdays, September through April
- Coordinator: Janet Groen
- Volunteer catechists drawn from the parish
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Religious Education web page: holyspiritfamily.org/education
Parish School (Historical)
St. Frances de Chantal ran a parish school from 1899 until 1970, beginning with a wood-frame building that housed four School Sisters of St. Francis. A larger brick school was built in 1909–1910 with boarders' dormitories, a high school was added in 1914 under Father Lordemann, and a third modern brick school was built in 1963 at a cost of $341,000. After closing in the summer of 1970, the school was sold to the public school district and the parish and public schools combined.
- 1899 — First wooden school with living quarters for Sisters; 140 students
- 1909–10 — Larger brick school with dormitories for boarders
- 1914 — High School opened
- 1963–66 — New brick school built at cost of $341,000
- 1970 — School closed and sold to public school district
Facilities and Hall Rental
The parish hall is located in the church basement and is available for rental for family gatherings and weddings. The PREP Center is not rented, and the church and hall are not available on Wednesdays September through April because of PREP activities. Payment for any church wedding rental is made in advance through the parish office.
- Parish hall in church basement — available for rental
- PREP Center — not rented
- Church — not rented for non-wedding events; weddings by arrangement through parish office
- Office contact for hall rental: Mag Borst, 402-337-0644
Holy Spirit Catholic Parishes Family
St. Jane Frances de Chantal is one of seven parishes in the Holy Spirit Catholic Parishes family under the Archdiocese of Omaha. The cluster shares clergy and programs so that rural Catholic communities can sustain vibrant parish life. Weekend and weekday Masses across the family are coordinated and published together on the family website and in the weekly bulletin.
- Holy Trinity, Hartington
- St. Michael, Coleridge
- St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Randolph
- St. Mary of the Seven Dolors, Osmond
- St. Paul the Apostle, Plainview
- St. Peter, Newcastle
- St. Joseph, Ponca
Contact and Office Hours
Parishioners can reach the St. Jane Frances office by phone, email, or in person. The St. Jane office is open on Mondays and Thursdays 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; the central Holy Spirit Catholic Parishes office in Hartington is open Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM and Friday 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
- St. Jane Frances Office: 402-337-0644, [email protected]
- Address: 403 N. Bridge Street, Randolph, NE 68771
- St. Jane office hours: Mondays & Thursdays, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- HSCP central office: 402-254-6559, [email protected] / [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Mugan1889
First priest to visit Randolph; celebrated first Mass there on April 9, 1889 while stationed in Wayne.
- Father Henry Loeckerearly 1890s
Came from Hartington; supervised purchase of lots (1891) and building of the first small church (1892).
- Father Albert Hork1894–1897
First resident pastor of Randolph.
- Father A. Walbaum1897–1898
Succeeded Father Hork.
- Rev. Casimir Renner1898–
Second resident priest, appointed by Bishop Scannell on May 10, 1898. Enlarged the church, beautified the interior, and founded the parish school (1899).
- Rev. Bernard Lordemann1914–
Opened St. Frances de Chantal High School in 1914.
- Rev. Thomas Furlong1970–1972
Organized the parish council (nine members), education/liturgy/activities committees, and initiated interior renovation.
- Rev. Benedict LaRocque1972–1977
Succeeded Father Furlong.
- Rev. Roland Peschel1977–1982
- Rev. James Ryberg1982–1985
- Rev. Richard Arkfeld1985–1988
- Rev. Donald Stortz1988–1991
- Rev. Jack Herbert1991–1992
- Rev. Wayne Schlautman1992–1997
- Rev. Ronald Battiato1997–2007
- Rev. John Andrews2007–2011
Also pastor of St. Mary's of the Seven Dolors, Osmond; oversaw 2009 sanctuary repainting.
- Rev. Michael Swanton2011–2015
- Rev. Tim Forget2015–2022
- Rev. Kevin Vogel2022–2023
- Rev. Owen W. Korte2023–present
Current pastor (per April 2025 bulletin).
- Rev. Kevin Vogel2025–present
Currently Associate Pastor.