About St. Mary · Falls City, Nebraska
St. Mary Catholic Church is a small rural mission parish tucked into the Arago countryside of Richardson County in southeastern Nebraska, within the Diocese of Lincoln. Designated a mission of Immaculate Conception Parish in nearby Rulo, the congregation gathers for Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. in the 1899 frame church that still serves the rural community about thirteen miles from Rulo.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Benjamin Rynearson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. Mary, Arago offers a faithful Catholic community in the rural heart of Richardson County, rooted in a 19th-century frame church that has gathered local families for generations. As a mission of Immaculate Conception in Rulo, it provides a quiet, traditional place to worship close to home, with Sunday Mass and confession each week. It is a place where the faith of the early settlers continues in a small, close-knit rural congregation.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:10 a.m. (before Mass)
Parish Overview
St. Mary, Arago is a small Roman Catholic mission parish in the rural Richardson County countryside of southeastern Nebraska. It belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln and sits within the Falls City Deanery. Formally, it is a mission of Immaculate Conception Parish in Rulo, and the congregation gathers for Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m.
- Mission of Immaculate Conception, Rulo
- Falls City Deanery
- Diocese of Lincoln
History of St. Mary, Arago
The parish's roots reach back to the 1857 depression, when a group of men from Buffalo, New York, settled in Nebraska. The Catholics among them lacked access to the sacraments, and several early attempts to build a church were blocked by Bishop O'Gorman due to a shortage of priests. By 1870, a church was created by renovating a small building purchased from the local Methodists. The present frame church was built in 1899 with financing from Joseph Frederick and land donated by Mrs. Lawrence Santo, under the supervision of Rev. John J. Hoffman.
- Settlers from Buffalo, NY arrived after the 1857 depression
- Bishop O'Gorman initially forbade church construction due to a lack of priests
- A former Methodist building was renovated into a church by 1870
- Present church built 1899, financed by Joseph Frederick
- Land donated by Mrs. Lawrence Santo
- Construction supervised by Rev. John J. Hoffman
Clergy & Pastoral Care
St. Mary is served through the Diocese of Lincoln by Rev. Benjamin Rynearson, who ministers to the mission along with Immaculate Conception in Rulo. Historically, the Arago congregation has been cared for by priests stationed at Rulo, reflecting the long-standing mission relationship between the two parishes.
- Rev. Benjamin Rynearson — current priest
- Historical connection to pastors at Immaculate Conception, Rulo
Location & Directions
The church sits in the rural Arago community of Richardson County, about eight miles north of Highway 159. Travelers turn onto 656 Road and proceed 1 ½ miles east on 713 Road to reach the site. The mailing address for parish correspondence is in Rulo, Nebraska.
- Street address: 65724 713 Rd, Falls City, NE 68355
- Mailing address: 601 W Rouleau St, Rulo, NE 68431
- 8 miles north of Highway 159 on 656 Road, 1 ½ miles east on 713 Road
- Located about 13 miles from Rulo
Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the mission via the contact information listed in the Diocese of Lincoln parish directory.
- Phone: 402-245-4731
- Directory entry: lincolndiocese.org/directory/parishes/666-st-mary-arago
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John J. Hoffman1899
Supervised construction of the present 1899 frame church
- Various priests from Rulo
Through the decades, priests from Immaculate Conception in Rulo have served the Arago congregation