About St. John the Baptist · Fort Calhoun, Nebraska
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the small Missouri River town of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska (Washington County), about 10 miles north of downtown Omaha. It is one of three parishes in the Trinity Catholic Parishes cluster, alongside St. Francis Borgia in Blair and St. Patrick in Tekamah, all administered from the central office at St. Francis Borgia in Blair under the Archdiocese of Omaha. The parish serves roughly half the residents of this town of approximately 1,000 people, with a long-running faith community anchored by weekly Mass, religious education, a youth group, Knights of Columbus Council 10305, and an annual St. John Fish Fry.
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Father Damien Wee
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a tight-knit small-town Catholic parish where, according to a Catholic Voice feature, 'more than half' of Fort Calhoun's roughly 1,000 residents are parishioners — meaning newcomers are quickly known by name. It offers daily and weekend Mass in the traditional Catholic setting, regular Reconciliation and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, an active religious education program for parish children (children attend public elementary school in Fort Calhoun and receive sacraments with their classmates), a youth group, and a strong Knights of Columbus Council 10305 that sponsors a monthly 'Knights Mass,' leads the Rosary, and takes up the collection. The parish is known for warmly welcoming every member of the family, including those with disabilities, and for community traditions such as the annual St. John Fish Fry.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 7:40 p.m. until the last person (per Trinity Catholic Parishes)
- Saturday, 5:15–5:45 p.m. (per older parish site listing)
- By appointment — call the Central Office at 402.426.3823
Adoration times
- First Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
About St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish serving the small Missouri River town of Fort Calhoun in Washington County, Nebraska, about 10 miles north of downtown Omaha. The parish is one of three congregations in the Trinity Catholic Parishes cluster administered from the Central Office at St. Francis Borgia in Blair. In a town of roughly 1,000 residents, more than half are parishioners, giving the community the character of an extended family. Weekend Mass is celebrated Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m., with weekday Mass on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The parish welcomes all and is especially noted for including parishioners with disabilities in liturgical ministry.
- 215 N 13th St, PO Box 148, Fort Calhoun, NE 68023
- Phone: 402-468-5348 — Fax: 402-468-4619
- Central Office (Blair): 402.426.3823
- Parish Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
History of the Parish
Catholic life in the Fort Calhoun area traces back to the first wave of Catholic settlement in Nebraska Territory in the 1850s. Fort Calhoun itself — incorporated in 1855, making it the oldest village in Nebraska — was platted by E. H. Clark on the site of old Fort Atkinson/Fort Calhoun. In June 1856 Father Jeremiah Trecy led 25 Irish Catholic families from Garryowen, Iowa, in 18 ox-drawn covered wagons to found 'St. John's City in St. Patrick's Colony' on the Missouri River bluffs in Dakota County; though that townsite was abandoned by 1866, the Catholic devotion to St. John the Baptist in the region took root. Sister parish St. Francis Borgia in Blair was organized in 1871 by Father Burns. The Fort Calhoun parish was established in the 19th century and has served the community continuously ever since. The 'Pioneer Friends' group within the parish today honors the founding Catholic families of the town.
- Fort Calhoun, Nebraska: oldest village incorporation in the state (1855)
- Father Jeremiah Trecy's 1856 colony — first Catholic parish in Nebraska
- St. Francis Borgia, Blair — organized 1871 by Father Burns (now sister parish in Trinity cluster)
Parish Leadership and Staff
The parish is led by Father Damien Wee, pastor of the Trinity Catholic Parishes (St. Francis Borgia, St. John the Baptist and St. Patrick). Three deacons serve the cluster: Deacon Jerry Mapes (Fort Calhoun), Deacon Paul Cerio (Fort Calhoun) and Deacon Jeff Zurek (Blair). Beth Holdridge is the Office Manager, and Theresa Gebhardt handles Maintenance & Cleaning at the Fort Calhoun site. Deacon Jeff and Darla Zurek direct the Youth Ministry at St. Francis Borgia, and Rachel Olson is the Religious Education Coordinator based in Tekamah. The parish continues the pastoral ministry of the late Father Stephen Gutgsell, who served as parish administrator of St. John the Baptist from 2012 until his death on December 10, 2023.
- Father Damien Wee — Pastor, Trinity Catholic Parishes
- Father Stephen Gutgsell — Parish Administrator 2012–2023 (deceased)
- Deacon Jerry Mapes — Fort Calhoun
- Deacon Paul Cerio — Fort Calhoun
- Deacon Jeff Zurek — Blair
- Beth Holdridge — Office Manager
Parish Ministries and Community Life
Parish life at St. John the Baptist is built around a small set of well-loved ministries. The Religious Education program prepares children for First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation — children who attend the public elementary school in Fort Calhoun receive their sacraments along with their classmates. The parish Youth Group brings teenagers together for fellowship and formation. Knights of Columbus Council 10305 is one of the most visible ministries, sponsoring a monthly 'Knights Mass' at which members lead the Rosary, serve as lectors and take up the collection in Knights polo shirts. The annual St. John Fish Fry is the parish's signature fundraiser and community gathering, and the Pioneer Friends group preserves the memory of the parish's founding families.
- Religious Education (CCD) for parish children
- Youth Group
- Knights of Columbus Council 10305 (monthly Knights Mass)
- Pioneer Friends (parish heritage group)
- St. John Fish Fry (annual fundraiser)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Children of the parish attend the public elementary school in Fort Calhoun and prepare for the sacraments through the parish's Religious Education program. As one Catholic Voice feature noted, the catechists are welcoming and accommodating, modifying lessons where needed so that every child — including those with learning challenges — can participate fully. Graduates frequently continue on to Confirmation preparation. Rachel Olson coordinates Religious Education across the Trinity cluster from Tekamah.
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Welcoming of children with disabilities and learning differences
Knights of Columbus Council 10305
Knights of Columbus Council 10305 is one of the most active ministries at St. John the Baptist. Each month the Council sponsors a 'Knights Mass' at which members — wearing Knights polo shirts — lead the Rosary before Mass, serve as lectors, take up the collection, and serve in other liturgical roles. The Council has also been known to confer honorary Knight status on parishioners who, though not members themselves, distinguish themselves in service to the parish.
- Monthly Knights Mass — Rosary, lectors, collection
- Service to parish and wider Fort Calhoun community
- Honorary Knight tradition
Sacraments at St. John the Baptist
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments and prepares parishioners to receive them. Baptisms, First Reconciliation and First Communion, and Confirmation are prepared through the Religious Education program. Couples preparing for marriage should contact the Central Office at St. Francis Borgia, Blair. The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, as well as pastoral visits to the homebound, are offered by appointment — a hallmark of the parish's pastoral care, especially under Father Gutgsell. Reconciliation is offered Saturday and by appointment, and Funeral Masses and Christian burial are arranged through the parish office.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- Marriage preparation via Central Office (402.426.3823)
- Anointing of the Sick / pastoral visits to the homebound
- Reconciliation Saturday and by appointment
- Funerals and Christian burial
Tragedy and Pastoral Legacy: Father Stephen Gutgsell
St. John the Baptist was marked by tragedy on December 10, 2023, when Father Stephen Gutgsell — the parish's pastor and administrator since 2012 — was fatally stabbed in an early-morning home invasion at the parish rectory. He was 65. Archbishop George Lucas celebrated a healing Mass with St. John the Baptist parishioners the following day at St. Francis Borgia in Blair. Father Gutgsell is remembered for his tireless pastoral care of the sick and homebound: he celebrated and prayed with residents at nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and rehabilitation centers up to five or six days a week, served as chaplain at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha, and frequently brought Holy Communion to those unable to attend Mass. The parish now continues his legacy under Father Damien Wee and the Trinity Catholic Parishes structure.
- Father Gutgsell: pastor/administrator 2012 – Dec. 10, 2023
- Ordained 1984 by Archbishop Daniel Sheehan at St. Cecilia Cathedral
- Chaplain at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Omaha
- Died at age 65 in rectory home invasion
Archdiocese of Omaha and Wider Catholic Context
St. John the Baptist is a parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha, which traces its history back to 1856, when Father Edmonds celebrated Mass at St. Mary in downtown Omaha — the first established Catholic Church in the Nebraska Territory — and earlier still to 1838, when the Jesuit missionary Peter De Smet celebrated Mass at what is now Bellevue. The Trinity Catholic Parishes cluster (St. Francis Borgia, Blair; St. John the Baptist, Fort Calhoun; St. Patrick, Tekamah) is a model of shared pastoral resources common in rural Nebraska, with a single pastor and a central administrative office serving multiple worship sites. The Archdiocese of Omaha parish finder lists St. John the Baptist Parish – Ft Calhoun as one of the parishes in the archdiocese.
- Archdiocese of Omaha: archomaha.org
- Trinity Catholic Parishes cluster: St. Francis Borgia (Blair), St. John the Baptist (Fort Calhoun), St. Patrick (Tekamah)
- Central Office: St. Francis Borgia, 2005 Davis Drive, Blair, NE 68008 — 402.426.3823
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jeremiah Trecy (regional)1856 (region)
Led the original Irish Catholic Trecy Colony that founded 'St. John's City' in Dakota County, NE (not Fort Calhoun, but the first Catholic colony in Nebraska). Established the wider regional Catholic presence that St. John the Baptist later joined.
- Father Burns1871
Organized St. Francis Borgia Parish in Blair (the sister parish now in the Trinity cluster with St. John the Baptist). Mission priests such as Father Burns served the wider Washington County Catholic community from this era.
- Father Stephen Gutgsell2012–December 10, 2023
Arrived in 2012 as associate pastor of St. John the Baptist and St. Francis Borgia; named administrator of St. John the Baptist effective July 1, 2018; also chaplain at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha. Died of stab wounds suffered in a home invasion at the parish rectory on December 10, 2023, at age 65. Ordained in 1984.
- Father Damien Wee2023–present
Current pastor of the Trinity Catholic Parishes (St. Francis Borgia in Blair, St. John the Baptist in Fort Calhoun, St. Patrick in Tekamah). Based at the Central Office at St. Francis Borgia, Blair.