About St. Joseph · Colon, Nebraska
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small rural parish in the village of Colon, Nebraska, in the heart of Saunders County, and a member of the Diocese of Lincoln (Wahoo Deanery). It is twinned as a two-parish family with St. Mary in nearby Cedar Bluffs, and the two share a single pastor, Fr. Luke Fleck. The parish is known for its strong sense of community — monthly parish breakfasts, funeral dinners, an annual Corpus Christi procession through the streets of Colon, May Crowning, and an outward-looking mission tradition that takes parishioners each year to Gallup, New Mexico, to work alongside the Missionaries of Charity and the Little Sisters of the Poor.
- Established
- 1918
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Luke Fleck
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Wahoo Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, hands-on rural parish where the congregation still builds its own traditions — from the Corpus Christi procession through the streets of Colon to monthly parish breakfasts and funeral dinners served by the PCCW. As part of a two-parish family with St. Mary in Cedar Bluffs, it offers daily and Sunday Mass, weekday and weekend confession, year-round Eucharistic adoration on Wednesdays, and an active calendar of faith-formation, family, and outreach events. If you are looking for a parish where you will know your fellow parishioners by name and put your faith into practice — including through the annual mission trip to Gallup, New Mexico — St. Joseph's in Colon is a faithful fit.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Weekdays: 20 minutes before Mass (at St. Joseph's)
- Saturday: 4:30–4:50 PM (at St. Joseph's)
- Sunday: 7:30–7:50 AM (at St. Joseph's)
- Sunday: 9:30–9:50 AM (at St. Mary's, Cedar Bluffs)
- Or by appointment through the parish office
Adoration times
- Saturday: 4:00–4:50 PM (Exposition at St. Joseph's)
- Sunday: 7:00–7:50 AM (Exposition at St. Joseph's)
- Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Exposition at St. Joseph's, every Wednesday of the year)
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Joseph's website opens with a simple invitation: 'Welcome to St. Joseph's, Colon and St. Mary, Cedar Bluffs of Nebraska. We are a place of community, faith, and mission. Join us in our journey to further our Lord's Kingdom, by "making disciples of all nations," with all the gifts we have been given.' The parish is presented as a single two-parish family in western Saunders County, serving Colon and neighboring Cedar Bluffs with daily Mass, the sacraments, monthly breakfasts, mission work, and active community involvement.
History of St. Joseph Parish
Catholic worship in the Colon area goes back to 1880, when the local mission was known as Holy Rosary Parish (served from Fremont by Father Fitzgerald) and met at what is today Holy Rosary Cemetery. In 1884 the Sand Creek Catholic Church was built on ground donated by Sam Howard; by 1888 the four area parishes agreed to build a rectory in Colon for a resident priest. Bishop Charles J. O'Reilly directed in 1918 that the rural Holy Rosary Church be closed and rebuilt in the village of Colon. The new parish was organized in May 1918 and named St. Joseph in honor of the pastor, Father Joseph Stockinger, who died that fall of tetanus at age 38. Father John O'Sullivan completed the brick church (architect H. Brinkman of Emporia, Kansas; contractor S. P. Wahlstrom; cost $45,000), whose cornerstone was dedicated November 19, 1919. Interior redecoration came in 1946 and an electric organ in 1952; in September 1958 the parish hall was begun and largely built by parishioners under Father Robert Trausch. The church was fully renovated in 1982, and the parish celebrated its Centennial in 2018.
- 1880 — Holy Rosary Parish founded; Father Fitzgerald serves from Fremont
- 1884 — Sand Creek Catholic Church built on land donated by Sam Howard (today's Holy Rosary Cemetery)
- 1888 — Frame rectory built in Colon under Father Charles Browne (destroyed by fire 1910)
- 1918 — Bishop O'Reilly directs Holy Rosary to be closed and rebuilt in Colon
- May 1918 — Parish organized and named St. Joseph in honor of Fr. Joseph Stockinger
- October 8, 1918 — Fr. Stockinger dies of tetanus at age 38 during construction
- November 19, 1919 — Cornerstone dedicated by Bishop Charles J. O'Reilly
- 1946 — Interior redecorated
- 1952 — Electric organ installed
- September 8, 1958 — Ground broken for new parish hall under Fr. Robert Trausch
- Spring 1982 — Full renovation: altars, statues, Stations of the Cross, exterior windows, bathroom, sidewalks, handicap ramp
- 2018 — 100th Anniversary Centennial Celebration
- 2025 — 106th anniversary of the dedication marked
Clergy & Leadership
St. Joseph's is pastored by Rev. Luke Fleck, who serves the parish together with St. Mary, Cedar Bluffs, as a two-parish family. The parish office is the main point of contact for scheduling sacraments and appointments. The Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) is led by President Valerie Able (2026–2028), with prior spiritual advisors including Rev. Thomas Lux and Rev. Thomas McGuire.
- Rev. Luke Fleck — Pastor
- Parish office: (402) 647-4901 — [email protected]
- Valerie Able — PCCW President, 2026–2028
- Rev. Thomas Lux — former Spiritual Advisor (PCCW)
- Rev. Thomas McGuire — former Spiritual Advisor (PCCW)
Parish Ministries & Community Life
St. Joseph's is known less for programs and more for parish-wide events that draw everyone together: monthly breakfasts, the May Crowning of First Communicants and graduates, World Marriage Day, a Family Picnic Day, and the parish potluck that follows the Corpus Christi procession through Colon. The Parish Council of Catholic Women organizes most of this fellowship, and a published Ministry Schedule assigns lectors, Eucharistic ministers, servers, and other liturgical roles for the coming quarter. A published bulletin keeps parishioners current on events from the Corpus Christi procession to the annual Holy Land Olive Wood sale.
- PCCW (Parish Council of Catholic Women) — coffee & rolls every other month, funeral dinners, church and hall cleaning
- May Crowning honoring First Communicants and Graduates
- World Marriage Day celebration
- Family Picnic Day and parish potluck
- Monthly parish breakfasts
- Quarterly Ministry Schedule for liturgical roles
- Annual Holy Land Olive Wood sale
Mission Trip to Gallup, New Mexico
Each year Fr. Luke Fleck leads a group of parishioners and Bishop Neumann students on a week-long mission trip to Gallup, New Mexico. In recent years the team has worked on two houses, the retreat center, the Missionaries of Charity, and the Little Sisters of the Poor — work Fr. Luke has described as 'deeply humbling.' Evenings include holy-site visits and adoration with the Blessed Sacrament, and Fr. Luke often quotes St. Teresa of Calcutta in encouraging parishioners to 'find your own Calcutta' right here in their own community when they return home.
- Annual mission trip with Bishop Neumann students, usually late May
- Service to the Missionaries of Charity and Little Sisters of the Poor in Gallup
- Evening adoration with the Blessed Sacrament
- Parish goal: take the spirit of mission back to local neighbors
Corpus Christi & St. Mary Dedication Day
Two of the most distinctive annual events of the two-parish family are the Corpus Christi procession through the village of Colon and the St. Mary Dedication Day celebration in Cedar Bluffs. The Corpus Christi procession begins with an 11:00 AM Mass at St. Joseph's, after which the congregation processes to three outdoor altars set up around the village before returning to St. Joseph Hall for a parish potluck. The St. Mary Dedication Day begins with an 8:00 AM Mass at St. Mary's, followed by a free brunch in the park with games and live entertainment for current and past members of St. Mary's parish.
- Corpus Christi: 11:00 AM Mass at St. Joseph's, outdoor procession to three altars around Colon, parish potluck at St. Joseph Hall
- St. Mary Dedication Day: 8:00 AM Mass at St. Mary's, Cedar Bluffs; brunch in the park; games and live entertainment
Sacraments & Faith Formation
The parish website describes St. Joseph's and St. Mary's as 'a vibrant Catholic Community offering all sacraments and events to grow and advance your faith in Jesus.' Confession is widely available — weekdays, Saturday, and Sunday — and appointments can be made by calling the parish office. Youth ministry, family life, and youth protection are supported through parish-level participation in the Diocese of Lincoln's broader formation programs.
- All sacraments offered
- Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, Confirmation — contact the parish office
- Confession: weekday, Saturday, Sunday (see confession_times)
- Anointing of the Sick by appointment
- Sky Camp for youth
- Diocesan Family Life, Youth Ministry, and Youth Protection programs
Facilities, Grounds & Accessibility
The Colon campus includes the 1918–1919 brick church at 111 Cherry Street, the parish hall built in 1958 west of the rectory, the parish rectory (originally purchased from Pat Danahy), and Holy Rosary Cemetery four miles south of the village. The 1982 renovation added a bathroom, new sidewalks, and a handicap ramp on the south side of the church. The parish hall — where parish breakfasts, funeral dinners, and the Corpus Christi potluck are held — was largely built by parishioners under Father Robert Trausch, who personally built the kitchen cabinets and painted the assembly-room artwork.
- Church — brick, dedicated 1919, renovated 1946, 1982
- Parish Hall — built 1958 under Fr. Robert Trausch
- Parish Rectory — formerly the Pat Danahy house
- Holy Rosary Cemetery — original 1884 Sand Creek Catholic Church site
- Handicap-accessible ramp on south side of church
- Parking available on site
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Joseph's. The easiest way to plug in is simply to attend a weekend Mass (Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM or Sunday at 8:00 AM in Colon; Sunday at 10:00 AM at St. Mary's, Cedar Bluffs), join a parish breakfast, or sign up for one of the liturgical roles on the published Ministry Schedule. For sacraments, appointments, or to learn about the parish's annual mission trip to Gallup, New Mexico, contact the parish office at (402) 647-4901 or [email protected].
- Parish Office: (402) 647-4901
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stjosephstmary.org
- Address: 111 Cherry Street, Colon, NE 68018 (PO Box 58)
- Sign up via the published Ministry Schedule (PDF) on the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Fitzgeraldcirca 1880
Said Mass out of Fremont for the early Holy Rosary / Sand Creek congregation
- Father Charles Browne1888–c.1910
Supervised construction of the original frame rectory in Colon, which was destroyed by fire in 1910
- Father Joseph Stockingerd. October 8, 1918
Pastor in 1918 when the new parish was organized; the parish was named St. Joseph in his honor. Died of tetanus at age 38 after stepping on a nail during construction of the new church
- Father John O'Sullivan1918–c.1919
Succeeded Father Stockinger and supervised completion of the brick church; cornerstone dedicated November 19, 1919
- Father Robert Trauschc.1958
Supervised construction of the new parish hall; built the kitchen cabinets and painted art work on the assembly-room walls
- Rev. Thomas Luxrecent past
Listed on Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women page as a prior spiritual advisor
- Rev. Thomas McGuirerecent past
Listed on Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women page as a prior spiritual advisor
- Rev. Luke Fleckpresent
Current pastor; leads the St. Joseph / St. Mary two-parish family and the annual Gallup, New Mexico mission trip