About St. Mary · Wymore, Nebraska
St. Mary is a Roman Catholic parish in Wymore, Nebraska, part of the Diocese of Lincoln and the Fairbury Deanery. Founded in 1881 by Rev. A. C. Rausch amid the growth of the Wymore railroad town, the parish has served the Catholics of southern Gage County for more than 140 years. Today the parish is shepherded by Rev. Loras K. Grell, who also pastors its two mission churches, St. Mary in Odell and St. Joseph in Barneston. The parish's present brick-and-steel church, dedicated in 1981, replaced an 1892 brick church that had served the community for nearly nine decades.
- Established
- 1881
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Loras K. Grell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a close-knit rural Catholic community rooted in Wymore since 1881, where parishioners are known by name across generations. The parish provides Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass plus confession before each, and the active Altar Society keeps the social calendar lively with soup suppers, turkey dinners, a December Christmas party, and outreach to the Good Samaritan Home and the Bloodmobile. As the mother church of the local cluster, St. Mary also reaches beyond its walls by supporting St. Mary's mission in Odell and St. Joseph's mission in Barneston.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:00–6:25 p.m.
- Sunday 10:15–10:35 a.m.
Parish History
St. Mary was established in 1881 by Rev. A. C. Rausch, the same year the town of Wymore was platted at the junction of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroads. From its first Mass celebrated in a private home, the parish grew rapidly, moving through four successive church buildings over the next century.
- 1881 — Rev. A. C. Rausch celebrates the first Mass in Wymore.
- 1882 — Father Rausch builds a combination chapel-and-rectory on three purchased lots at his own expense ($225).
- 1886 — A frame church is dedicated in the fall.
- December 18, 1892 — A pressed-brick church, built under Rev. J. C. Freeman, is dedicated at a cost of $14,000.
- 1894 — The old frame church is dismantled and its lumber used to build the two-story rectory ($2,200).
- 1939 and 1940 — Interior of the 1892 church is remodeled under Msgr. S. J. Wagner.
- 1954 — Exterior repairs, new sidewalks, electric bell system, lighting upgrades, and electric organ under Father Thomas Daly.
- June 15, 1957 — A hailstorm destroys many of the stained-glass windows.
- September 15, 1974 — A new parish hall is blessed.
- April 4, 1978 — The 1892 brick church is demolished.
- October 24, 1980 — Construction begins on the present church, designed by architect John Forman.
- July 26, 1981 — The present church is dedicated by Bishop Glennon Flavin.
The Present Church
The fourth and current church building was designed by architect John Forman and dedicated by Bishop Glennon Flavin on July 26, 1981. Its steel, rectangular bell tower — housing the bell from the 1892 brick church — deliberately echoes the grain-elevator legs of southern Gage County, anchoring the building in its rural setting.
- Architect: John Forman
- Construction start: October 24, 1980
- Dedication: July 26, 1981 by Bishop Glennon Flavin
- Bell tower: steel, rectangular, housing the bell salvaged from the 1892 church
- Interior: clean lines integrated with plaster statuary and surviving stained-glass saints from the previous church
- Sanctuary statuary: Christ the Good Shepherd and St. Margaret of Antioch (left); St. John the Evangelist and St. Peter (right)
- Distinctive feature: a large clearstory floods the sanctuary with light while the nave is kept darker and more contemplative
Altar Society and Parish Life
The parish Altar Society is the engine of St. Mary's community life and outreach. Led by Co-Presidents Jeanne Hardin and Janice Grummert, Secretary Janet Sohl, and Treasurer Mae Marie Schultze, the society organizes seasonal fundraisers, parish socials, and service to the wider Wymore community.
- Soup Supper
- Turkey Dinner
- Annual Christmas Party in December
- Sam Wymore Days family night assistance in June
- October birthday party at the Good Samaritan Home
- Cookies for the Bloodmobile
- Community coffee hosting
- Participation in the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (Fairbury Deanery)
Cluster Parishes and Missions
St. Mary in Wymore is the mother parish for two missions in the surrounding rural area, both cared for by the current pastor, Rev. Loras K. Grell, in keeping with the Diocese of Lincoln's clustering model for smaller rural parishes.
- St. Mary, Odell (mission)
- St. Joseph, Barneston (mission)
Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Cemetery is the parish cemetery serving St. Mary in Wymore. A 1883 land donation from John G. Paul — five acres adjacent to the Burlington right-of-way northwest of Blue Springs — was originally intended for Catholic burial; the current cemetery site was later acquired. Former pastor Rev. J. C. Freeman, who served the parish for 26 years until his death in November 1915, is interred at Calvary.
Deanery and Diocese
St. Mary belongs to the Fairbury Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln, whose Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln. The parish's listing is maintained on the diocesan directory at lincolndiocese.org, which publishes the current pastor, Mass and confession schedule, and contact information.
- Diocese: Diocese of Lincoln
- Deanery: Fairbury
- Diocesan directory listing: lincolndiocese.org/directory/parishes/798-st-mary-wymore
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Mary at the rectory on North 11th Street in Wymore. The mailing address uses the post office box published in the diocesan directory.
- Street address: 115 N. 11th Street, Wymore, NE 68466
- Mailing address: PO Box 13, Wymore, NE 68466
- Phone: 402-645-3160
- Parish office hours not published online; call for appointments
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. A. C. Rausch1881–1889
Founder of the parish; said the first Mass in Wymore in 1881 and built the original chapel-house at his own expense.
- Rev. J. C. Freeman1889–1915
Built the 1892 pressed-brick church and the 1894 rectory; served the parish for 26 years until his death in November 1915; buried in Calvary Cemetery.
- Rev. D. Cronin1915–
Built the present rectory in 1916.
- Rev. John Hennessy
- Rev. Joseph Keany
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. D. B. O'Conner
- Rev. J. R. Sinkula
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. S. J. Wagner
Oversaw the complete interior remodeling of the church in 1940.
- Rev. Richard Brombach
- Rev. Thomas Daly
Supervised extensive exterior repairs, new sidewalks, electric bell system, new lighting, and an electric organ in 1954.
- Rev. Dennis Hotovyuntil 2011
Led the parish through planning and construction of the present 1981 church, which was begun shortly after the 1978 demolition of the 1892 brick church; retired in 2011.
- Rev. Loras K. Grellappointed June 14, 2021
Current pastor of St. Mary, Wymore together with the missions of St. Mary, Odell and St. Joseph, Barneston.