About St. Joseph · Geneva, Nebraska
St. Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Geneva, Nebraska, the county seat of Fillmore County. It belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln (York Deanery) and currently serves as the home parish for the mission church of St. Mary in Shickley. The parish traces its origins to 1878, when its first Mass was celebrated, and today it operates from a modern church dedicated in 1999 that preserves the stained-glass windows, statues, and baptismal font from its predecessor building. The parish offers a Saturday Vigil Mass and a Sunday morning Mass, with Saturday confessions before the vigil, providing a quiet anchor of Catholic life for the Fillmore County farming community.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Craig Doty
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a long-established country parish in the Diocese of Lincoln that has served the farming families of Fillmore County since 1878, offering the steady rhythm of a Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday Mass, and Saturday confessions in a beautiful modern church that carries its history on its walls in stained glass brought forward from 1899. Worshippers can take part in the life of a tight-knit rural Catholic community that extends to the mission parish of St. Mary in Shickley, and that connects to the wider diocese through youth retreats, the diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and active outreach at Camp Kateri Tekakwitha. For Catholics in Geneva and the surrounding agricultural region, St. Joseph offers a faithful and welcoming Catholic home with deep local roots.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 p.m.
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Catholic Parish was founded with its first Mass in 1878, when early settlers of Fillmore County built a church outside Geneva on Turkey Creek. As the Catholic population grew, the parish moved to its present site and constructed a new church in 1899. That church was enlarged in 1908 at a cost of about $13,000, and a parish school was added in 1912 at a similar cost. By the late 1990s the 1899 building had reached the end of its life and was razed in 1997; the present-day church was built on the same site and dedicated in 1999. The parish is part of the Diocese of Lincoln's York Deanery and shares pastoral ministry with the mission church of St. Mary in Shickley.
- First Mass celebrated 1878
- Original church built outside Geneva on Turkey Creek
- New church on current site constructed 1899
- Church enlarged 1908 for about $13,000
- Parish school built 1912 for about $13,000
- Original 1899 church razed 1997; new church dedicated 1999
- Mission parish: St. Mary, Shickley
Architecture and Interior
The current St. Joseph Church is a modern 1999 structure whose worship space was deliberately designed to honor the older parish's heritage. The interior is spacious, open, and filled with natural light, with decorative wood fixtures throughout. Its visual focus is a large Crucifixion scene set above a wood-backed altar beneath a triple-arch configuration that evokes the Holy Trinity. Many of the sacred furnishings and windows that fill the building today came from the predecessor 1899 church, giving the contemporary structure the layered character of a parish whose Catholic identity spans more than a century.
- Triple-arch sanctuary evoking the Holy Trinity
- Large Crucifixion scene over the altar
- Decorative wood fixtures throughout the nave
- Sacred statues carried over from the original church
- Historic baptismal font from the original church
Stained Glass Windows
Nearly all of the German-style stained-glass windows from the 1899 church were carefully removed before demolition, cleaned, and reinstalled in the new building. They are now displayed in the choir loft, the narthex, and the hallway leading to the parish hall, where they continue to cast colored light into the worship space and serve as a visual link to generations of Geneva Catholics who worshipped before them.
- German-style windows from the 1899 church
- Windows reinstalled in the choir area and narthex
- New patron window of St. Joseph commissioned for the narthex
Jubilee Courtyard and Memorial Bell Tower
Outside the church, the Jubilee Courtyard preserves the cornerstones of both the original 1899 church and the 1912 parish school, and displays plaques listing the pastors who have served St. Joseph through the decades. Adjacent to it stands the memorial bell tower, which houses the original bell recovered from the older church — a tangible link between the 1899 and 1999 buildings.
- Cornerstones of original church and 1912 school
- Plaque listing former pastors of the parish
- Memorial bell tower with the original church bell
Sacraments
As a parish of the Diocese of Lincoln, St. Joseph celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. Baptisms may use the historic baptismal font that was preserved from the 1899 church. Couples seeking marriage, families planning a funeral, or parishioners in need of Anointing of the Sick should contact the parish office at (402) 759-3225 to coordinate with the pastor.
- Eucharist (weekend and special Masses)
- Penance / Reconciliation (Saturday 3:00–3:45 p.m.)
- Baptism (historic baptismal font)
- Matrimony (by arrangement with the parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick (by arrangement with the parish office)
Ministries and Outreach
Although St. Joseph is a small rural parish, it is plugged into the wider life of the Diocese of Lincoln through its priests' ministry beyond Geneva. Fr. Waskowiak's long involvement with SKY Camp, TEC retreats, canoe trips, and World Youth Day pilgrimages shaped the parish's youth ministry, and his chaplaincy of Camp Kateri Tekakwitha tied Geneva directly to a diocesan catechetical and evangelization effort. The parish is also part of the Diocese of Lincoln's Council of Catholic Women (Crete Deanery), supporting women's spiritual and charitable work in the region.
- Camp Kateri Tekakwitha (chaplaincy and interim executive directorship)
- SKY Camp and TEC youth retreats
- Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, Crete Deanery
- World Youth Day diocesan pilgrimages
Service Area and Mission Parishes
St. Joseph Parish serves Geneva, the county seat of Fillmore County, and the surrounding agricultural communities of southeast Nebraska. Within the Diocese of Lincoln's York Deanery, it is partnered with the mission church of St. Mary in Shickley, sharing a single pastor for both communities.
- Geneva, Nebraska (Fillmore County)
- St. Mary, Shickley (mission parish)
- York Deanery, Diocese of Lincoln
Visiting St. Joseph
Visitors are warmly welcomed to St. Joseph at 831 E Street, just south of the Fillmore County Courthouse in central Geneva. Weekend Masses are at 4:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. Sunday, with confessions heard Saturday from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. The church doors are generally open during office hours and when Masses and confessions are scheduled. Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (402) 759-3225 or by email.
- Address: 831 E Street, Geneva, NE 68361
- Phone: (402) 759-3225
- Email: [email protected]
- Half-block south of the Fillmore County Courthouse
Pastors & rectors through the years
- (Founding pastor, 1878)1878
Celebrated the first Mass at the original church built outside Geneva on Turkey Creek.
- (Pastors honored on the Jubilee Courtyard plaques)
A list of all former pastors of St. Joseph Parish is engraved on plaques in the Jubilee Courtyard at the church; the full succession is not published online.
- Rev. Harlan WaskowiakOrdained 1998; assigned to Geneva until 2026
Served as pastor of St. Joseph, Geneva, and St. Mary, Shickley; also chaplain and interim executive director of Camp Kateri Tekakwitha near McCool Junction. Reassigned in 2026 to St. Joseph, Benkelman, and St. Joseph, Stratton.
- Rev. Craig DotyAppointed 2026
Appointed pastor of St. Joseph, Geneva, and St. Mary, Shickley, retaining his assignment as Judge for the Diocesan Tribunal and member of the Diocesan Equipping Team for Prayer and Healing.