About St. Joseph · Pierce, Nebraska
St. Joseph Parish is a small Catholic parish in Pierce, Nebraska, originally founded as a mission in the late 1800s and raised to full parish status on November 30, 1905 under Father Theodore Mester. Today it is part of the Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes, a Family of Parishes within the Archdiocese of Omaha that brings together worship communities in Norfolk, Pierce, Madison, Stanton, Battle Creek and Randolph under shared pastoral leadership. Weekend Masses follow a seasonal schedule that rotates among St. Joseph, St. Leonard (Madison), St. Patrick (Battle Creek), St. Peter (Stanton) and St. Mary (Norfolk), with Sunday Mass celebrated at St. Joseph each May through August. The parish maintains an active lay life through the Altar Society, Knights of Columbus Council #11054, Prayer Warriors, Saints Club and Catholic Order of Foresters.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick A. McLaughlin (Pastor of the Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes; installed at St. Joseph on July 2, 2023)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Joseph in Pierce offers small-town Catholic community life rooted in more than a century of continuous worship on the same site — the church was dedicated to St. Joseph in 1903 and raised to parish status in 1905. Families who worship here are part of the wider Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes family, so they share in the liturgies, faith formation and youth ministry of six northeast Nebraska parishes. The parish is shaped by long-running lay groups — the Altar Society, Knights of Columbus Council #11054, Prayer Warriors, Saints Club and Catholic Order of Foresters — that meet in the parish hall and make it easy to get involved.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:15–5:45 pm at St. Joseph, Pierce (January 1 – April 30, before 6:00 pm Mass — based on travel time)
- Sunday 7:15–7:45 am at St. Joseph, Pierce (May 1 – August 31, before 8:00 am Mass)
- Weekday confessions: Sacred Heart, Norfolk — Monday through Friday 4:45–5:20 pm (before 5:30 pm Mass)
Adoration times
- Blessed Sacrament is reposed after the Holy Thursday Mass and returned Tuesday after the 7:15 am Mass during Holy Week (per parish schedule).
Parish History
St. Joseph's traces its roots to the 1871 founding of the town of Pierce and the missionary priests who served scattered Catholic families on horseback. The parish history, as told on the official website, walks through every major milestone: the 1890 purchase of the old Pierce Public School for $200 and its conversion into the first mission church; the construction and dedication of the current church in 1903; the November 30, 1905 elevation to parish status with Father Theodore Mester as the first pastor; the 1907 addition of sanctuary and sacristies; the 1931 incorporation; the 1953 enlargement designed by Father John Mines; the post-Vatican II modernization of 1965–66; the 2005 centennial; and the 2015–2019 remodeling including the west addition blessed by Father Marc Lim in 2018. The story continues into the Archdiocese of Omaha's 2019 Pastoral Plan, which reorganized the parish under Father Tim Forgét, the 2022–23 administrator period under Father Kevin Vogel, and the July 2, 2023 installation of Father Pat McLaughlin as pastor.
- Mission church: old Pierce Public School, purchased May 1890 for $200
- Current church dedicated July 9, 1903
- Raised to parish status November 30, 1905
- Incorporated August 17, 1931
- Centennial celebrated in 2005 under the theme '100 years in God's Hands'
- Joined Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes July 2023
Clergy & Staff
St. Joseph's is currently served as part of the Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes, with Father Patrick A. McLaughlin as pastor and two parochial vicars, Rev. Gregory P. Carl and Rev. Vincent Germace. The Pierce parish office is staffed by Lindsey Unseld (Parish Secretary), Arnie Venteicher (Finances), Larry Fuerhoff (Maintenance), Sandy Hoffmann (Welcoming Committee), Cheryl Higgins (Music Coordinator) and Anne Scholting (Religious Education Captain and youth minister). All clergy can be reached through the parish office at 402-329-4200 or through the central Sacred Heart Norfolk office at 402-371-2621.
- Rev. Patrick A. McLaughlin — Pastor (installed July 2, 2023)
- Rev. Gregory P. Carl — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Vincent Germace — Parochial Vicar
- Lindsey Unseld — Parish Secretary
- Anne Scholting — Religious Education Captain / Youth Minister
Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes (Family of Parishes)
Since July 2023, St. Joseph's has been a member of the Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes, a Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Omaha that brings together worship communities in Norfolk (Sacred Heart and St. Mary), Madison (St. Leonard), Stanton (St. Peter), Battle Creek (St. Patrick) and Pierce (St. Joseph) under shared pastoral leadership. The model allows the family to maintain Mass in each location while addressing priest shortages, with fixed Masses at St. Leonard and Sacred Heart and a seasonal weekend rotation among St. Joseph, St. Patrick and St. Peter. Bilingual Masses (English and Spanish) are celebrated Saturday at 7:00 pm at St. Leonard in Madison and Sunday at 11:30 am at St. Mary in Norfolk.
- Pierce (St. Joseph), Madison (St. Leonard), Stanton (St. Peter), Battle Creek (St. Patrick), Norfolk (Sacred Heart, St. Mary)
- Central pastoral offices in Norfolk — 402-371-2621
- Seasonal weekend Mass rotation among the smaller parishes
- Fixed Mass schedule at St. Leonard (Madison) and Sacred Heart (Norfolk)
- Bilingual weekend Masses at St. Leonard and St. Mary
Ministries & Groups
Lay life at St. Joseph's is organized around a handful of long-running groups that meet in the parish hall. The Altar Society, Knights of Columbus Council #11054, Prayer Warriors, Saints Club and Catholic Order of Foresters all have regular monthly meetings, and a parish Leadership Council oversees the work of the parish. The parish also maintains a Welcoming Committee for newcomers, a Music Ministry led by Music Coordinator Cheryl Higgins, and a Religious Education program for youth.
- Altar Society — 3rd Thursday of the month
- Knights of Columbus Council #11054 — 4th Thursday at 7:00 pm
- Prayer Warriors — 4th Monday at 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall (contact Sandy Hoffmann)
- Saints Club — 2nd Monday at 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall (contact Cindy Warneke)
- Catholic Order of Foresters — 402-329-4547
- St. Joseph's Leadership Council (parish council)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Religious education for the Pierce parish is coordinated by Anne Scholting, the parish's Religious Education Captain, who also serves as youth minister. The Wednesday PRE (Parish Religious Education) program gathers students at the church during the school year for catechesis, with a special PRE Mass celebrated at St. Joseph on the 3rd Wednesday at 7:00 pm. First Communion is celebrated at the Pierce church each spring, in 2026 on April 11 at 6:00 pm, as part of the wider First Communion schedule for the Heart of Jesus family.
- Religious Education Captain: Anne Scholting
- Youth Minister contact: [email protected]
- PRE Mass at St. Joseph on the 3rd Wednesday during the school year at 7:00 pm
- First Communion at Pierce: April 11, 6:00 pm (2026)
Buildings, Renovations & Memorials
The St. Joseph church building has been updated many times to serve a growing parish. The first major expansion came in 1907 with the addition of a sanctuary and two sacristies. In 1953–55 the church was cut in half — the 1907 sanctuary section was moved about thirty feet south to make room for more seating — at a cost of $30,000, designed by Father John Mines. Between 1965 and 1966 the sanctuary was modernized in line with Vatican II under Monsignor B. J. Leahy, with a new altar, side altars, removal of the communion railing, sanctuary carpet and a pulpit and lectern. From 2015 to 2019 the parish installed a new sound system and lighting and remodeled interior areas. The most recent construction project was the west addition, donated and built in memory of Gerald Pint, which replaced the old handicap entrance and created a new gathering space; it was blessed by Father Marc Lim on August 18, 2018.
- 1907: Sanctuary and two sacristies added; church wired for electric lights
- 1953–55: Church cut in half and enlarged; cost $30,000
- 1965–66: Sanctuary modernized after Vatican II; cost $2,355
- 2015–19: New sound system, lighting and interior remodeling
- 2018: West addition in memory of Gerald Pint, blessed Aug. 18, 2018
Centennial Celebration (2005)
In 2005, St. Joseph's marked 100 years as a parish. A centennial committee organized the year's events and chose the theme "100 years in God's Hands," submitted by Marilyn Blunck. Her niece Stacy Zimmer drew the centennial logo that was used throughout the year. A parish cookbook was compiled from recipes submitted by members, centennial T-shirts were made, and a commemorative plate was designed featuring pictures of the church in 1905 and 2005 with a brief parish history printed on the back. A history book committee was also established to research and publish the parish story.
- Theme: '100 years in God's Hands' — Marilyn Blunck
- Centennial logo drawn by Stacy Zimmer
- Parish cookbook compiled from member recipes
- Commemorative plate showing the church in 1905 and 2005
- History book committee formed to research parish history
Contact & Directions
St. Joseph's parish office sits at 118 W. Willow Street in Pierce, Nebraska. The mailing address is 118 W. Willow, Pierce, NE 68767, and the parish phone is (402) 329-4200. The parish email is [email protected], and youth ministry inquiries go to [email protected]. Clergy of the Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes can also be reached through the central Norfolk office at (402) 371-2621. The church is recognized by the Archdiocese of Omaha directory at 421 S. Brown St., Pierce, NE 68767.
- Parish office: 118 W. Willow St., Pierce, NE 68767
- Phone: (402) 329-4200 | Fax: (402) 329-4579
- Email: [email protected]
- Heart of Jesus central office: (402) 371-2621
- Archdiocesan-recognized church address: 421 S. Brown St., Pierce, NE 68767
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John VranekMay 1890–
Early mission priest; purchased the old Pierce Public School for $200 and moved it onto lots bought from Henry J. Billerbeck to serve as the first mission church.
- Father Joseph Macoureklate 1890s–early 1900s
Continued growing the mission parish and began collecting funds for a new church; construction began May 1902 and was finished in spring 1903.
- Father Theodore MesterDecember 3, 1905–
First pastor when St. Joseph's was raised from mission to parish on November 30, 1905.
- Father John Mines1953–
Designed and planned the 1953 church enlargement and remodeling that added seating, a new confessional, two side altars and a new heating system at a cost of $30,000.
- Father Peter Dunne1959–
Implemented the first changes following Vatican II; introduced the Mass of the New Rite in 1962, replacing Latin with English.
- Monsignor B. J. Leahy1965–66
Directed the sanctuary modernization: new altar, side altars, removal of statues and communion railing; sanctuary carpeted; cost $2,355.
- Father Jerry Connealyuntil 2019 (later expanded)
In 2004, Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss asked him to also serve as pastor of St. Paul's in Plainview.
- Father Marc Lim2018 (blessing)
Blessed the new west addition in memory of Gerald Pint on August 18, 2018.
- Father Tim ForgétJuly 2019–
First pastor under the 2019 Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan, serving St. Joseph's together with St. Mary's Osmond and St. Jane Frances de Chantal Randolph.
- Father Kevin VogelJuly 2022–July 2023
Appointed administrator for the three parishes of Pierce, Osmond and Randolph during the pastoral-planning transition.
- Father Scott HastingsJuly 2, 2023
Presided at the installation Mass for Father Pat McLaughlin as pastor of St. Joseph's.
- Father Pat McLaughlinJuly 2, 2023–present
Installed as pastor of St. Joseph's and the Heart of Jesus Catholic Parishes at a special 2 p.m. Mass.