About St. Joseph · Barneston, Nebraska
St. Joseph is a small Roman Catholic mission church in the village of Barneston, in southern Gage County, Nebraska, belonging to the Diocese of Lincoln. It is staffed as a mission of St. Mary Parish in nearby Wymore and is currently cared for by Rev. Loras Grell, who also pastors St. Mary, Wymore and St. Mary, Odell. The congregation gathers for a single early Sunday Mass at 7:15 a.m., with confessions heard just before Mass, making it a quiet anchor of Catholic life for the rural community and for descendants of the fifteen founding families who built the original church in 1891.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Loras Grell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a small, intimate Catholic community in rural Gage County where Mass and Confession are offered every Sunday — an unusual gift for a mission-sized parish. The church is rich in heritage: the same building dedicated by Bishop Bonacum in 1891 is still in use, and six religious vocations have come from this congregation, including Bishop Thomas Olmsted. Under the pastoral care of Fr. Loras Grell and the outreach of the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, parishioners belong to a parish family with deep roots and a living devotional life.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 6:45–7:05 a.m. (approximately 10 minutes before Mass)
History of St. Joseph, Barneston
St. Joseph traces its origins to the mid-1880s, when Catholic families in the Barneston area of southern Gage County had no church of their own. From 1885 to 1890 visiting priests occasionally celebrated Mass in the homes of parishioners. In 1890 fifteen Catholic families started a subscription list to build their own church, and Bishop Thomas Bonacum, second Bishop of Lincoln, dedicated the building in honor of St. Joseph on May 11, 1891. The original structure cost just $1,377.18 — a remarkable sum for fifteen farm families of the era — and the building has undergone several renovations over its 130+ years while remaining in continuous use.
- 1885–1890: visiting priests occasionally celebrated Mass in parishioners' homes
- 1890: 15 Catholic families begin a subscription to fund a church
- May 11, 1891: Bishop Thomas Bonacum dedicates the building in honor of St. Joseph
- Original construction cost: $1,377.18
- Building has undergone several renovations and is still standing
Vocations to Religious Life
For a mission-sized parish, St. Joseph has produced an extraordinary harvest of religious vocations. Six men and women from the parish answered God's call to consecrated life. Three were ordained to the priesthood: Fr. Paul York, Fr. Robert Barnhill, and Bishop Thomas Olmsted. Three women entered religious orders: Sister Mary Donelle Oates of the BVM (Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Sister Loretta Ire of the O.S.B. (Order of Saint Benedict), and Sister Mary James York of the O.S.F. (Franciscan Sisters).
- Fr. Paul York — priest
- Fr. Robert Barnhill — priest
- Bishop Thomas Olmsted — Bishop of Wichita, then Bishop of Phoenix
- Sister Mary Donelle Oates, BVM
- Sister Loretta Ire, O.S.B.
- Sister Mary James York, O.S.F.
Bishop Thomas Olmsted's 50th Anniversary Celebration
On August 6, 2023, St. Joseph Parish hosted the celebration of the 50th anniversary of priesthood for native son Bishop Thomas Olmsted. Olmsted was raised in southern Gage County, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln on July 2, 1973, was ordained a bishop for the Diocese of Wichita on April 20, 1999, and was installed as Bishop of Phoenix on December 20, 2003; he retired in 2022. A specially scheduled Mass was celebrated at 9:30 a.m. and filled the church to capacity. Two concelebrating priests — Fr. Julius Tvrdy of the Diocese of Lincoln and Fr. Jim Shaughnessy of the Archdiocese of Kansas City — were classmates of Bishop Olmsted at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver. Honored guests included the bishop's 101-year-old mother Helen Olmsted, his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and women religious from Barneston and Wymore.
- Date: August 6, 2023
- Mass at 9:30 a.m. — church filled to capacity
- Concelebrants: Fr. Julius Tvrdy and Fr. Jim Shaughnessy
- Attendees included Bishop Olmsted's 101-year-old mother, Helen Olmsted
- Present were Sr. Loretta McGuire and Sr. Barbara McCracken (Benedictine Sisters, Atchison, Kan.) and six Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln
Clergy & Pastoral Care
St. Joseph is a mission of St. Mary Parish in Wymore within the Fairbury Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln. The current pastor is Rev. Loras Grell, who also serves as pastor of St. Mary, Wymore and St. Mary, Odell. The parish's contact line is shared through the Wymore-area parish office.
- Pastor: Rev. Loras Grell (also pastor of St. Mary, Wymore and St. Mary, Odell)
- Deanery: Fairbury
- Diocese: Diocese of Lincoln
- Mailing address: PO Box 13, Wymore, NE 68466
Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (LDCCW)
St. Joseph, Barneston is part of the Fairbury Deanery of the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. The 2024–2026 president of the St. Joseph unit is Judy Weston. The LDCCW preserves the parish's historical highlights and supports its mission and community life.
- Council: Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (LDCCW)
- Deanery: Fairbury
- Parish President (2024–2026): Judy Weston
- Spiritual Advisors: Rev. Thomas Lux, Rev. Thomas McGuire
Visit & Contact
St. Joseph is located in the small village of Barneston in southern Gage County, Nebraska. The mission shares its mailing address with St. Mary, Wymore, and inquiries can be directed through the parish phone line.
- Street address: 406 Wyatt Street, Barneston, NE 68309
- Mailing address: PO Box 13, Wymore, NE 68466
- Phone: 402-645-3160
- Listed on the Diocese of Lincoln parish directory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Loras Grell
Current pastor of St. Joseph mission (also pastor of St. Mary, Wymore and St. Mary, Odell), confirmed in attendance at Bishop Olmsted's 50th anniversary celebration in August 2023.