About St. Joseph · Giltner, Nebraska
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Giltner, Nebraska is a small mission parish serving the Catholic community of this rural Hamilton County village. It is formally a mission of St. Mary Catholic Church in Aurora, sharing its pastor, offices, and ministries with the larger parish twelve miles to the north. The mission traces its roots to 1901, when local farming families first organized to build a church, and it celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1952 and a new church building in 1968. Today Mass is celebrated weekly in Giltner, with the faithful gathered under the pastoral care of Fr. Mark E. Seiker, pastor of St. Mary, Aurora.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Mark E. Seiker
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a tight-knit rural Catholic mission where Mass is celebrated every Sunday, the Rosary is prayed before Mass, and the Parish Council of Catholic Women hosts a monthly coffee-and-rolls gathering after the first-Sunday Mass, an annual salad supper that draws about 150 women from across the community, a yearly senior citizens dinner, a soup supper, and a Christmas pot luck. As a mission of St. Mary in Aurora, parishioners share in the larger parish's faith formation and sacramental life while keeping the small-town fellowship that has defined Giltner Catholicism since 1902.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM (45 minutes before Mass)
- Wednesday: 8:15 AM – 9:00 AM (45 minutes before Mass)
About St. Joseph, Giltner
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a mission parish in the village of Giltner, Hamilton County, Nebraska, formally attached to St. Mary Catholic Church in Aurora. Both parishes share a single pastor — currently Rev. Mark E. Seiker — and a common parish office located in Room D of St. Mary Hall in Aurora. The mission is part of the York Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln. Mass is celebrated in Giltner on Sunday mornings and on Wednesday, with confessions heard before each Mass.
Parish History
Catholics in the Giltner area began organizing in the 1890s under the encouragement of Father Dunphy, the first resident priest at St. Ann's in Doniphan. Crop failures and the depression of the 1890s delayed the project, but by 1901 the community had collected $1,500 in building funds. A meeting of founders on October 10, 1901 set construction in motion, and Bishop Bonacum dedicated the finished 28-by-40-foot church on July 15, 1902. From its earliest days St. Joseph was a mission — first of Harvard (1902–1920), then of Aurora (1920–1933), back to Harvard (1933–), and presently of St. Mary, Aurora.
Founders and Early Families
The parish was formed from outlying portions of the Doniphan, Aurora, and Harvard parishes, organized by a small group of lay founders. John Shafer donated the building site, Frank Wanek, Sr. donated the cemetery land, and John Kline was elected head of the building committee. The church was built by Kline with assistance from the men of the parish.
- Joseph Hegenbart
- William Luby
- Owen McMahon
- John Kline (building committee head)
- John Shafer (donated building site)
- Frank Wanek, Sr. (donated cemetery land)
Church Buildings Through the Years
The original 1902 frame church proved too small within fifteen years and was enlarged in 1916 with a sacristy addition built by carpenter James McNeff. The interior was redecorated in 1932, again in the 1940s, and once more in 1952 in preparation for the Golden Jubilee. Half a century after founding, the parish broke ground on a new church on October 7, 1966, and dedicated the present 250-seat building on May 30, 1968, at a cost of approximately $90,000.
- 1902 — Original 28×40-ft church built ($1,850); dedicated by Bishop Bonacum
- 1916 — Enlarged; sacristy added by James McNeff
- 1932, 1940s, 1952 — Interior redecorations
- September 26, 1952 — Golden Jubilee celebrated with Bishop Kucera
- October 7, 1966 — Groundbreaking for the present church
- May 30, 1968 — Current 250-seat church dedicated (~$90,000)
Mission Status and Pastoral Care
St. Joseph has never had a resident priest of its own. Throughout its history it has been served from neighboring parishes — first Harvard, then Aurora, then Harvard again, and currently St. Mary, Aurora. The shared pastor for both parishes is Rev. Mark E. Seiker, who began serving in 2021. The unified parish office is located in Room D of St. Mary Hall in Aurora, and office hours are listed in the parish calendar and weekly bulletin.
- Mission of: St. Mary, Aurora
- Deanery: York
- Diocese of Lincoln
- Current pastor: Rev. Mark E. Seiker (2021–present)
Parish Life and Ministries
The mission's social and spiritual life is organized largely through the Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW), whose activities bring parishioners and the wider Giltner community together throughout the year. Gatherings after Mass, an annual salad supper, and dinners for seniors and the broader community are the heart of parish fellowship.
- Coffee and Rolls — 1st Sunday of the month
- Regular PCCW meetings
- Christmas Pot Luck Dinner
- Rosary before Mass
- Yearly Senior Citizens Dinner (for current and former parishioners)
- Soup Supper at noon for parish members and guests
- Annual Salad Supper (~150 women attend)
Contact and Visiting
St. Joseph Catholic Church is located at 209 N. Derby Avenue in Giltner, Nebraska. Although Mass is celebrated at the Giltner mission, parish records, the pastor, and most administrative functions are maintained through the shared St. Mary, Aurora office. The mailing address is the Aurora parish office; the phone line (402-694-3427) and email reach the joint parish staff.
- Street address: 209 N. Derby Avenue, Giltner, NE 68841
- Mailing address: PO Box 291, Aurora, NE 68818-0291
- Phone: (402) 694-3427
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmarysaurora.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Dunphyfrom 1896
First resident priest at St. Ann's, Doniphan; encouraged Catholics in Giltner to build a church.
- Father Hennesseyearly 1900s–1920s
Drove out from Aurora to celebrate Mass at Giltner when it was a mission of Aurora.