About St. Mary · Denton, Nebraska
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a small, family-sized parish in the village of Denton, Nebraska, in Lancaster County, about 15 miles southwest of Lincoln. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln (Crete Deanery) and serves more than 170 households today, with three weekend Masses and a daily Mass at 8:00 AM. Its roots reach back to 1884, when Irish famine-era immigrant families in 'Sullivan's Settlement' first gathered for Mass in a farm home and a one-room schoolhouse; the present church was dedicated on May 10, 1964, after a wind-driven fire destroyed the earlier building in 1961.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Craig A. Doty
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Crete Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary's is the kind of Catholic parish where you can be known by name: more than 170 households worship together in a village church, with three Sunday Masses plus a daily 8:00 AM Mass and a First Friday all-night vigil of Adoration from Thursday 8:00 PM through Friday 6:00 PM. The parish runs an active Altar Society that meets monthly, a PCCW (Parish Council of Catholic Women), faith formation for all ages (including the Godparent program for teens), First Saturday Mass, and outreach like FoodNet on Mondays at the Denton Community Center. Whether you live in Denton, commute from Lincoln, or are just passing through, you will find a small community that still remembers every Sullivan family by name.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday — 30 minutes before Mass (i.e., beginning around 4:30 PM)
- Sunday — 30 minutes before each Mass (beginning around 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 AM)
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration: Thursday 8:00 PM through Friday 6:00 PM (an overnight vigil in the church)
Parish History — From Sullivan's Settlement to Today
St. Mary's traces its origin to four unrelated Irish families — all surnamed Sullivan — who fled the potato famine, worked in mines in Massachusetts and Michigan, and each bought a quarter section of Lancaster County land at $4.95 an acre. Father Kennedy rode out from St. Theresa's in Lincoln and celebrated the first Mass in the Lockwood home in 1884, later moving to the District 66 schoolhouse. Under Franciscan Father Casimir Dietrich, O.F.M. (1901–07), Eugene Sullivan donated an acre and a 28×42-foot frame church was built at a cost of $2,000 — known simply as 'The Church in Sullivan Settlement.' In 1912 diocesan priest Father Moran oversaw the move into the town of Denton itself, where a non-Catholic, Mr. Gilbert, donated two lots and Bishop J. Henry Tihen dedicated the new 32×58-foot building as 'St. Mary's' on August 7, 1912, confirming 29 parishioners the same day.
- 1884 — first Mass celebrated in Sullivan's Settlement
- 1901–07 — first frame church built under Father Casimir Dietrich, O.F.M.
- August 7, 1912 — St. Mary's Church in Denton dedicated by Bishop J. Henry Tihen
- May 10, 1961 — fire destroys the church and rectory in 15 minutes
- December 15, 1963 — first Mass in the new church (Father James Dawson)
- May 10, 1964 — new church and rectory dedicated by Bishop James V. Casey
Devotions and Prayer Life
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, St. Mary's nurtures devotion through the First Friday all-night vigil of Adoration, the First Saturday Mass, monthly Rosary and Altar Society gatherings, and a dedicated Prayer Line that the parish publicizes in its bulletins and website.
- First Friday Adoration (Thursday 8 PM – Friday 6 PM)
- First Saturday Mass at 8:00 AM
- Monthly Rosary at 7:00 PM (before Altar Society meetings)
- Prayer Line: (402) 328-9730
Parish Organizations and Ministries
Although small, St. Mary's runs a healthy mix of women's, youth, and outreach ministries. All women of the parish are automatically members of the Altar Society, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM following a 7:00 PM Rosary and Mass. The PCCW (Parish Council of Catholic Women) coordinates women's service and fellowship. For young people, Monsignor Holoman's Godparent program provides religious education for junior and senior high students, and Monsignor Pleskac's 'Light of the World' retreat and small communities are still part of parish life. Outreach includes FoodNet — a Monday food-distribution ministry hosted at the Denton Community Center.
- St. Mary's Altar Society (women of the parish; 2nd Tuesday, 7:00 PM Rosary, 7:30 PM meeting)
- PCCW — Parish Council of Catholic Women
- Godparent Program for junior and senior high religious education
- Light of the World retreat and communities
- FoodNet outreach at the Denton Community Center (Mondays)
- Prayer Line ministry
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
Information about baptisms, marriages, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and RCIA is handled through the parish rectory. Call the rectory line at (402) 797-2105 or use the contact form on dentonstmarys.com/contacts to begin preparation. The parish also welcomes new parishioners via a 'New Parishioner Form' linked from the home page.
- Rectory line: (402) 797-2105
- Mailing: PO Box 406, Denton, NE 68339
- New Parishioner Form available on the parish website
- Anointing of the Sick available on request
Contact, Location, and Parish Office
St. Mary's sits in the village of Denton in southwestern Lancaster County, roughly 15 miles southwest of Lincoln. The church is at 7105 Cass Street, with mailing address PO Box 406, Denton, NE 68339. The parish is part of the Diocese of Lincoln's Crete Deanery, and the parish home page links directly to the diocesan directory entry and the Southern Nebraska Register.
- Street address: 7105 Cass Street, Denton, NE 68339
- Mailing: PO Box 406, Denton, NE 68339
- Rectory: (402) 797-2105
- Diocese: Diocese of Lincoln — Crete Deanery
- Website: dentonstmarys.com
Notable Facts and Parish Distinctives
St. Mary's carries more than a century of Irish-Catholic heritage into a small village setting — a story that distinguishes it from most surrounding rural parishes. The 1961 fire-and-rebuild story, the three vocations to religious life that came out of one congregation, and the unusually robust First Friday overnight Adoration are all hallmarks of the community.
- Four founding Sullivan families all shared one dug well in Sullivan's Settlement
- Three religious vocations from one parish (Fr. Sullivan, C.S.V.; Fr. Coulter; Sr. Anne Joelle, C.K.)
- Current church sits on a different site than the 1912 original, south of the burned frame building
- Parish is part of the Crete Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Kennedy1884
Came from St. Theresa's in Lincoln; celebrated the first Masses in the Lockwood home and the District 66 schoolhouse in Sullivan's Settlement.
- Priests of St. Francis de Sales Church, Lincolnfrom 1888
Took over pastoral care of Sullivan Settlement after Father Kennedy's four-year mission.
- Father Casimir Dietrich, O.F.M.1901–1907
Franciscan pastor under whom Eugene Sullivan donated an acre and the first frame church (28×42 ft, $2,000) was built — 'The Church in Sullivan Settlement.'
- Father Moran1912
First diocesan priest assigned to the parish; oversaw construction of the Denton church dedicated as St. Mary's on August 7, 1912.
- Father Felix Bronnenkant1922–
Early pastor in the interwar period.
- Father Timothy Corcoran
Pastor between 1922 and 1945.
- Father Timothy O'Sullivan
Pastor between 1922 and 1945.
- Father Louis Jansen
Pastor between 1922 and 1945.
- Father Clement Siwinski
Pastor between 1922 and 1945.
- Father Frank Flicek
Helped liquidate the long-standing parish debt by introducing the 'God's Acre' giving plan.
- Father Joseph Keanyafter 1945
Led a renovation of the church interior.
- Father Henry Denis1948–
Pastored from 1948 into the early 1950s.
- Father Raphael Collins
Pastor during the late 1940s–early 1960s era.
- Father James Dillon
Pastor leading up to the 1961 fire.
- Father Luke Mandevillethrough 1961
Last pastor before the church and rectory burned on May 10, 1961.
- Monsignor Max DeWitt1961–1963
Administrator after the fire; led the study and fund-raising for a new church on a new site.
- Father James Dawson1963–1981
Also diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools; celebrated first Mass in the new church on Dec. 15, 1963.
- Father Liam Barrfrom 1981
Succeeded Father Dawson; also served as superintendent of Pius X High School in Lincoln.
- Monsignor Thomas Holoman1995–2003
Made major improvements to parish buildings; instituted the Godparent program for junior/senior high religious education.
- Monsignor Myron J. Pleskac2003–2006
Introduced the 'Light of the World' retreat and communities; transferred to Christ the King Convent in June 2006.
- Father Mark Huberfrom 2006
Succeeded Monsignor Pleskac in 2006.
- Rev. Craig A. Dotycurrent
Current pastor.