About St. Joseph · Beatrice, Nebraska
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic parish in Beatrice, Nebraska, serving the communities of Beatrice, Plymouth, and Pickrell within the Diocese of Lincoln. The parish was established in 1883 with its first resident pastor and worships in a current church completed in 1926, with stained glass windows added in 1941. Alongside its parish school (preschool through 5th grade, founded 1888), St. Joseph offers daily and weekend Masses, a long-running Eucharistic Adoration program, the Knights of Columbus, an Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul outreach, and a vibrant parish school on the same campus.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Leo Kosch
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the fullness of Catholic life in a small-town setting — multiple weekend Masses, a long-running Eucharistic Adoration program, weekday Mass, and the sacraments celebrated with care. The parish operates a faithful preschool-through-5th-grade Catholic school on the same campus, and ministries like the Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul, the Over 55 group, and a prayer chain keep members of every age involved. The rosary is prayed before each weekend Mass and the Divine Mercy Chaplet each Friday, making St. Joseph a deeply devotional community rooted in 140+ years of Nebraska Catholic history.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm
- First Fridays (when Mass is held) 7:30 am - 8:00 am
- Any other time by appointment
Adoration times
- Exposition and Confession after each Sunday Mass on the 3rd Sunday of the month
- Long-running parish Adoration Program (over 25 years) — schedule details published in the bulletin
History of St. Joseph Parish
Catholic life in Beatrice traces back to a 1869 visit by a Benedictine priest who offered Mass and baptized several children. Monthly visits from the priest in Crete began in 1874, and a small church was built on south 6th Street in 1878. Beatrice became a mission of Tecumseh in 1881, and in 1883 St. Joseph received its first resident pastor, Fr. A. Havestat. The parish cemetery was established in 1893.
- 1869 — first Catholic Mass in Beatrice
- 1874 — monthly visits begin from Crete priest
- 1878 — small church built on south 6th Street
- 1881 — Beatrice made a mission of Tecumseh
- 1883 — first resident pastor (Fr. A. Havestat)
- 1887 — original church enlarged
- 1893 — parish cemetery established
Building the Present Church
After years of discussion and planning, the current church was completed in 1926 at a cost of $107,000 (about $1.7 million in today's dollars). Stained glass windows were installed in 1941, and the interior was remodeled in 1973. The interior was repainted in 1996, and the roof and tower were repaired after tornado damage on May 8, 1996. Protective glass was added to the stained glass windows in 2001.
- 1926 — current church completed ($107,000)
- 1941 — stained glass windows installed
- 1971 — bells Constantine and Juliana consecrated by Bishop Kucera (Dec. 14)
- 1973 — church interior remodeled
- 1981 — parish hall added to the school building
- 1996 — interior repainted; roof and tower repaired after tornado (May 8)
- 2001 — protective glass installed over stained glass windows
St. Joseph Catholic School
St. Joseph Catholic School was founded in 1888 with classes held in the church annex, later moving into the current three-story school building in 1907. The school added grade levels in the 1940s, held its first high school graduation in 1949, and blessed a major addition in 1955. The junior-senior high school program was discontinued in 1967; kindergarten and preschool programs were later added. Today the school offers preschool through 5th grade.
- 1888 — school opened in the church annex
- 1907 — moved into current three-story school building
- 1949 — first high school graduation
- 1955 — school addition blessed
- 1967 — junior-senior high school program discontinued
- Currently preschool through 5th grade
- Principal: Mrs. Emily Lohr
- Mission: 'As followers of Christ at St. Joseph Catholic School, we will encourage, strengthen, and share the faith, and facilitate life-long learning for all of God's children.'
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Leo Kosch (Pastor, since 2022) with Fr. Joseph Faulkner serving as Senior Parochial Vicar. Sara Stedman serves as Church Secretary and Bookkeeper. The school is led by Mrs. Emily Lohr as principal, with Fr. Kosch also serving as Chief Administrative Officer of the school.
- Fr. Leo Kosch — Pastor (since 2022)
- Fr. Joseph Faulkner — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Mrs. Sara Stedman — Church Secretary and Bookkeeper
- Mrs. Emily Lohr — School Principal
- Mrs. Tammy Zarybnicky — School Secretary
- Fr. Leo Kosch — CAO of the school
- Fr. Joseph Faulkner — teaches Computer and Music at the school
Fr. Leo Kosch, Pastor
Fr. Leo Kosch was born in Columbus, Nebraska in 1967, the 7th of 9 children of Joe and Wilma Kosch. He graduated from Lakeview Public High School in 1985, attended UNL for two years, then Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Maryland, and was ordained a priest in 1993. For his first 22 years he taught religion at Diocesan high schools, with parish assignments including St. John's in Lincoln, St. Michael's in Hastings, Presentation Church (Marietta), St. Mary's in Davey, St. John's in Prague with Sts. Cyril and Methodius (Plasi), and most recently seven years at Sacred Heart Church in Lincoln before becoming pastor at St. Joseph in 2022.
- Ordained 1993
- Past assignments: St. John's Lincoln, St. Michael's Hastings, Presentation Church, St. Mary's Davey, St. John's Prague, Sacred Heart Lincoln
- Became pastor at St. Joseph, Beatrice in 2022
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. Joseph supports a range of parish organizations and ministries. The Knights of Columbus (led by Grand Knight Brock Lohr), Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Over 55 group (Monica Breitinger) offer fellowship and outreach. The 10 AM Choir is led by Kate Ratigan, and a parish Prayer Chain (Betty Witulski) supports members in need. The parish has run an active Eucharistic Adoration Program for over 25 years.
- Knights of Columbus — Grand Knight Brock Lohr
- Altar Society
- St. Vincent de Paul — 402-435-7968
- Over 55 group — Monica Breitinger
- 10 AM Choir — Kate Ratigan, 402-806-0131
- Prayer Chain — Betty Witulski, 402-228-0694
- Eucharistic Adoration Program (active 25+ years)
- Rosary before each weekend Mass
- Divine Mercy Chaplet each Friday
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Daily religious education and weekly Mass attendance help integrate faith formation throughout the school day at St. Joseph Catholic School. The parish prepares families for the sacraments of Baptism (with a required preparation class), Matrimony (6-12 months of advance planning), and Anointing of the Sick for the hospitalized or homebound. Natural Family Planning instruction is available through parish contact Jo Langley.
- Baptism — preparation class required; call rectory
- Matrimony — 6-12 months advance notice
- Anointing / Hospital Visits — by request
- Natural Family Planning — Jo Langley, 402-223-3359
- Confession — Saturday, First Friday, or by appointment
Parish Cemetery
The parish cemetery was established in 1893 and continues to be maintained by parish volunteers. Cemetery contact is Jerry Kempf (402-239-1896).
- Established 1893
- Contact: Jerry Kempf, 402-239-1896
Outreach and Community
St. Joseph Catholic School holds service projects throughout the year — a diaper drive, a food drive for the local food pantry, a pajama drive, and a spring clean — to serve members of the parish and wider community. The parish operates Red Raven Day Care (ages 3 and up) inside the school building, accessible at (402) 223-5033. The parish also supports St. Vincent de Paul and an active prayer chain.
- Annual service projects: diaper drive, food drive for local food pantry, pajama drive, spring clean
- Red Raven Day Care — ages 3+, located in the school building, 402-223-5033
- St. Vincent de Paul — 402-435-7968
- Prayer Chain for parishioners in need
Visiting and Getting Involved
New parishioners can register online through the parish website. The parish office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (except Holy Days, holidays, and school holidays), and the school office is open Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm. The parish bulletin is published weekly and archived on the website.
- Parish office: 612 High Street, Beatrice, NE 68310 — (402) 223-2923
- School office: 420 N 6th Street, Beatrice, NE 68310 — (402) 223-5033
- Online registration available on the parish website
- Weekly bulletin posted on the parish website
- Starlight Gala — annual fundraising event
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. A. Havestat1883-1886
First resident pastor of St. Joseph.
- Fr. Thomas Quick1886-1889
- Fr. A.J. Capellan1889-1893
- Fr. Michael M. Merkl1893-1906
- Fr. A. Petrasch1906-1912
- Fr. Englebert Boll1912-1916
- Fr. Robert L. Bickert1916-1934
- Fr. Adolph M. Mosler1934-1936
- Fr. Patrick Harte1936-1940
- Msgr. Ferdinand Mock1940-1965
- Fr. John Kelly1965-1971
- Fr. Michael Danko1971-1994
- Fr. Mark Seiker1994-2006
- Fr. Steven Major2006-2013
- Fr. Robert Barnhill2013-2020
- Fr. Rand Langhorst2020-2022
- Fr. Leo Kosch2022-present
Current pastor; previously at Sacred Heart, Lincoln (2015-2022).