About St. Joseph · Kimball, Nebraska
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a small rural parish at 507 South Howard Street in Kimball, in the Nebraska Panhandle. Established as an independent parish in 1921 after Catholics in the area had worshipped in private homes and a small frame church since 1909, it is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island and today serves a tight-knit western Nebraska farming community with weekly Sunday Mass, weekday services, Adoration, and a robust calendar of parish organizations. Worshippers belong to a parish with a century-long story of building, rebuilding, and renewing a church home on the High Plains — current pastor Father James Joseph leads a flock served alongside retired priest Father Robert Karnish and other area clergy.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- St. Joseph (Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Father James Joseph
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is the kind of parish where people know each other by name — a small but active western Nebraska community built on more than a century of faith. Members gather for Sunday Mass, Tuesday morning Adoration, Wednesday noon Mass, and a parish life that includes a Rosary Altar Society, Council of Catholic Women, Knights of Columbus, Bible study, a Prayer Circle, a Children's and Youth Choir, and a Fear Not Youth Group. With visiting Father Robert Karnish retired but still listed on the clergy roster, and a pastor who knows his flock personally, newcomers and returning Catholics find a welcoming place rooted in prayer, service, and Panhandle hospitality.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (per parish website)
- Saturdays 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (per parish Sacraments page and third-party listing)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 8:45 a.m. — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (parish website; third-party listing notes Adoration paused from Nov. 24, 2025 to April 7, 2026)
History of St. Joseph's Parish
Catholic worship in the Kimball area began in 1909 when visiting priests from Sidney said Mass in the homes of Mary Lynch, Jim Kinney, Pat Maginnis, Art Bickel, and Ed Roche. The parish was formally designated in April 1921 on land donated by Pat Maginnis, where a small 30-seat frame church was built in 1911. The 1951 present church, the 1928 brick rectory, the 1957 new rectory, and the 1963 school building were all shaped by Msgr. Kintz's long tenure. A 1998 renovation under Father Francis Curran and the 2009 kitchen remodel brought the parish into its current shape, with Father James Joseph now serving as pastor.
- First Masses celebrated in private homes from 1909–1921
- Frame church built on Pat Maginnis's land in 1911 (about 30 seats, later 110)
- Parish formally designated April 1921; first pastor Father Patrick Moriarty
- First recorded marriage: Robert Maginnis and Genevieve Tierney, January 1922
- 1928 two-story brick rectory built alongside the church
- 1951 current church (about 400 seats) under Msgr. Kintz
- 1957 new rectory, again under Msgr. Kintz
- 1963 eight-classroom school building (never opened as a school due to shortage of teaching sisters)
- 1970 bell donated by Joaguin Flores; erected 1993 under George Barp during Msgr. Carl Hayden's pastorate
- 1998 major renovation under Father Francis Curran
- 2002 Father Robert Karnish succeeds Father Curran
- 2009 downstairs kitchen renovated
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The parish gathers on Sundays and several weekdays for Mass, Communion Service, and Adoration. The Sunday liturgy is the center of parish life, supported by a Tuesday morning Holy Hour and a noon Wednesday Mass.
- Sunday Mass — 8:00 a.m.
- Tuesday — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 8:45 a.m.
- Wednesday Mass — 12:15 p.m.
- Thursday — Communion Service, 8:45 a.m.
- Holy Days (eve) — 6:00 p.m.; Holy Days also offered at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
- Manor Mass — third Sunday of each month, 9:30 a.m.
Sacraments
St. Joseph's celebrates all seven sacraments within the Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. Parents preparing for Baptism take baptismal classes before the celebration; First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are prepared through 2nd-grade Faith Formation; Confirmation is celebrated for Juniors and Seniors who complete the preparation process; weddings require at least six months of planning with the pastor; Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays and by appointment.
- Baptism — baptismal classes required
- Eucharist — First Communion prepared in 2nd-grade Faith Formation
- Confirmation — Juniors and Seniors in preparation
- Matrimony — six months' notice to the pastor
- Holy Orders — contact Fr. James or Vocations Director Rev. Neal Hock
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 4:00–4:30 p.m., by appointment, plus Advent/Lent communal services
- Anointing of the Sick — by request to Fr. James
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Sunday liturgy through a full complement of liturgical ministries, from Altar Servers (grades 4–12) to Greeters, supported by the Music Ministry led by coordinator Tim Anderson and a Children's and Youth Choir for grades K–6.
- Altar Servers (grades 4–12)
- Music Ministry — cantors, choir, piano/keyboard, guitar, hand bell choir (Tim Anderson)
- Children's and Youth Choir (grades K–6)
- Ministers of the Eucharist (Communion distribution, Homebound/Extended Care visits)
- Lector / Leader
- Church Environment (Dawn Moeser)
- Ushers
- Greeters (Ministers of Hospitality)
Parish Organizations and Committees
The parish community sustains a wide range of organizations for men, women, youth, and adults. The Rosary Altar Society, Council of Catholic Women, and Knights of Columbus anchor the social and service life of the parish, while Bible Study and a Men's Support Group sustain adult faith formation.
- Pastoral Council
- Rosary Altar Society (3rd Tuesday of the month, 7:00 p.m., church basement)
- Stewardship Committee
- Vocations Ministry
- Knights of Columbus (3rd Degree — 2nd Sunday, 10:00 a.m.; 4th Degree — 1st Monday, 6:30 p.m.)
- Men's Support Group
- Bible Study / Adult Catechism
- St. Joseph's Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — all registered women 18+
- Prayer Circle — co-coordinators Mary Lukassen and Marie Janicek
- Fear Not Youth Group — contact Dawn Moeser
Parish Services and Outreach
Service to one another is a hallmark of St. Joseph's. The parish hosts Lenten luncheons, an annual Fall Dinner in October, and funeral receptions coordinated by the Rosary Altar Society. The Prayer Circle networks parishioners who pray for those in need. Every third Sunday of the month, Father James celebrates Mass at the local Manor at 9:30 a.m., bringing the Eucharist to elderly or homebound parishioners.
- Lenten Luncheons
- Annual Fall Dinner — Sunday in October, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (turkey dinner, bazaar, raffle)
- Funeral Luncheons / Wake Receptions (coordinated by the Rosary Altar Society)
- Prayer Circle — prayer requests via Mary Lukassen or Marie Janicek
- Monthly Manor Mass with Father James (third Sunday, 9:30 a.m.)
Faith Formation
Religious education at St. Joseph's takes place for children preparing for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist (2nd grade) and for high-school Juniors and Seniors preparing for Confirmation. The parish also offers ongoing adult formation through Bible Study and Adult Catechism.
- 2nd-grade Faith Formation — preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
- Confirmation preparation — Juniors and Seniors
- Bible Study / Adult Catechism
- Children's and Youth Choir (grades K–6) as part of catechetical-year formation
Clergy and Staff
St. Joseph's is shepherded by Father James Joseph as pastor and supported by Father C. P. Varghese and retired priest Father Robert Karnish. The parish is part of the Diocese of Grand Island, currently led by Most Reverend Joseph G. Hanefeldt, the eighth bishop, who was episcopally ordained on March 19, 2015. The Diocese Vocations Director is Rev. Neal Hock.
- Father James Joseph — Pastor
- Father C. P. Varghese
- Father Robert Karnish — Retired
- Most Reverend Joseph G. Hanefeldt — Eighth Bishop of Grand Island
- Rev. Neal Hock — Vocations Director, Diocese of Grand Island
- Pastoral Minister — Ed Montgomery
- Directors of Religious Education (DREs) — Linda Mihm and Dawn Moeser
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Patrick Moriarty1921 – first pastor
First pastor of the parish; lived in a small room at the rear of the church that was later made into the sanctuary and sacristy.
- Msgr. Kintz
Long-serving pastor who supervised the 1951 construction of the present church, the 1957 rectory, and the 1963 eight-classroom school building (which never opened as a school due to a shortage of teaching sisters).
- Msgr. Carl Hayden
Pastored the parish during the 1993 erection of the bell donated by Joaguin Flores in 1970.
- Father Francis Curranthrough 2002
Supervised the latest major renovation of the church, completed in 1998; Mass was held in the old school building during the work.
- Father Bob (Robert) Karnish2002 –
Succeeded Father Curran in 2002; now retired but listed on the parish clergy page.
- Father James Joseph
Current pastor of St. Joseph's, Kimball.