About St. Mary · Laurel, Nebraska
St. Mary Catholic Church in Laurel, Nebraska, is a rural parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha serving the small Cedar County town of Laurel (population ~975). Since 2005–2008 it has been grouped with St. Mary's in Wayne and St. Anne's in Dixon to form the 'Family of the Immaculate Conception,' a Catholic-Parishes-in-Partnership sharing one pastor, staff, and sacramental schedule across the three worship sites. Mass is offered daily in the historic Laurel church, while weekend Masses are celebrated at the cluster's sister churches in Wayne and Dixon. The parish's mission statement describes it as 'A parish family, inviting all to live and share the Love and Mercy of Jesus.'
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew F. Capadano
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Mary's Laurel offers a quiet, small-town Catholic community in the heart of rural Cedar County, with daily Mass celebrated in its historic church at 408 Elm Street and the warm support of a three-parish family that pools resources and ministries. The cluster runs a Catholic school (St. Mary's, Wayne), youth ministry, RCIA, an active Wildcat Catholic college-campus ministry serving nearby Wayne State College, a seasonal coat closet serving Cedar and Dixon Counties, and international mission support. For anyone wanting faithful Catholic worship and a tight-knit rural faith family within the Archdiocese of Omaha, St. Mary's Laurel is a welcoming home.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes prior to weekend Masses (at the location of the Mass)
- Anytime by appointment — call 402-375-2000
Adoration times
- 24-hour Adoration: First Monday 5:00 PM through Tuesday 5:00 PM (unless there is a holiday)
About the Parish
St. Mary Catholic Church in Laurel, Nebraska, is a rural parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha serving the town of Laurel (population about 975) in Cedar County. Founded in 1905, it has been grouped since 2005–2008 with St. Mary's in Wayne and St. Anne's in Dixon to form the 'Family of the Immaculate Conception' Catholic Parishes in Partnership. The cluster shares one pastor (Fr. Matthew Capadano, installed July 1, 2024), one staff, one school, and one sacramental schedule. The parish's stated mission is 'A parish family, inviting all to live and share the Love and Mercy of Jesus.'
- Worship site address: 408 Elm St., Laurel, NE 68745
- Mailing: P.O. Box 828, Laurel, NE 68745
- Centralized office: 412 E. 8th St., Wayne, NE 68787 — 402-375-2000
History
The parish traces its origins to 1905, when the small railroad town of Laurel organized a Catholic congregation alongside its Methodist, Lutheran, and other Protestant neighbors. It grew up under the missionary care of priests serving the Wayne and Hartington areas and was eventually folded into today's Family of the Immaculate Conception as the Archdiocese of Omaha reorganized rural parishes to deal with declining populations and fewer priests. The historic Laurel church still hosts daily Mass and is the home of a monthly 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration.
- 1905 — St. Mary's Catholic Church founded in Laurel
- Clustered with St. Mary's Wayne and St. Anne's Dixon as 'Family of the Immaculate Conception'
- July 1, 2024 — Fr. Matthew Capadano installed as full-time pastor of the three-parish family
Parish Staff & Clergy
The three-parish family shares one pastoral team, based out of the central office in Wayne. The Laurel/Dixon/Wayne cluster's current staff includes:
- Rev. Matthew F. Capadano — Pastor (ext. 125, [email protected])
- Rev. Jerry Connealy — Senior Associate
- Rev. Zach Tucker — Parochial Vicar & WSC Chaplain (ext. 101, [email protected])
- Deacon Gary French — 402-375-2736
- Sara Westerhold — Principal, St. Mary's School (Wayne)
- Michaela Fehringer — Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Francis Kantai — Evangelization Coordinator / RCIA / Deacon in Formation
- Donna Kraft — Program Director ([email protected])
- Sarah Claussen — Business Manager
- Elizabeth King — Receptionist
- Jared Ludwig — Wildcat Catholic College Minister (Wayne State College)
- Cecilia Modrell — Hispanic Coordinator
Ministries & Outreach
Beyond the Mass schedule and adoration, the parish family runs a wide range of ministries serving Laurel, Dixon, and Wayne. The Catholic elementary school (St. Mary's, Wayne) and the Wildcat Catholic college-campus ministry at Wayne State College are signature ministries. Outreach includes a seasonal coat closet for Cedar and Dixon Counties and support of international missionaries. The Family of the Immaculate Conception Pastoral Council — with lay representatives from all three parishes — discerns and implements programs across the cluster.
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Youth Ministry
- Evangelization
- Wildcat Catholic — Wayne State College campus ministry
- Hispanic Ministry
- St. Mary's School, Wayne (K–6 Catholic elementary school)
- Family of the Immaculate Conception Pastoral Council
- Seasonal coat closet for Cedar and Dixon Counties
- Support of international missionaries
Sacraments
Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and RCIA are coordinated through the centralized parish office at 412 E. 8th Street, Wayne. To schedule any sacrament, contact the office at 402-375-2000 during office hours (Tuesday–Thursday 9 AM–5 PM, Friday 8 AM–1 PM; closed on Holy Days). After-hours pastoral emergencies: 402-375-2000 ext. 9.
- Baptism — by appointment through the parish office
- Marriage — contact the parish office to begin preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment; after-hours emergencies via ext. 9
- RCIA — for adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church (Francis Kantai, coordinator)
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors are warmly welcomed at any Mass. The Laurel church is most active for daily Mass (Tuesday–Friday as posted) and the monthly 24-hour Adoration. To become a registered parishioner or to volunteer in any ministry, contact the parish office at 402-375-2000 or [email protected]. Newcomers are invited to introduce themselves at any weekend Mass in Wayne or Dixon and to fill out a parish registration card.
- Office hours: Tue–Thu 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM–1:00 PM
- After-hours emergency line: 402-375-2000 ext. 9
- New parishioner registration: contact [email protected]
Bulletin & News
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin — 'Family of the Immaculate Conception' — listing Mass intentions, the reconciliation schedule, ministry updates, a prayer list, and announcements from across the three-parish family. Bulletins are posted online at familyofic.org and stmaryswayne.org; current and recent back-issues are available as PDFs from the parish website.
- Bulletin archive: familyofic.org/laurel-news/bulletin and familyofic.org/wayne-news/bulletin
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Various priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha / Holy Spirit and Family of the Immaculate Conception cluster1905–present
Complete individual succession for the Laurel parish was not located online; the parish was historically served by priests from neighboring Wayne-area missions before being grouped into today's Family of the Immaculate Conception cluster. Fr. Matthew Capadano is the current pastor (assigned July 1, 2024) of the three-parish family that includes Laurel.