About St. Patrick · Battle Creek, Nebraska
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a small rural parish in Battle Creek, Nebraska, and a member of the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes administered from Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk. The parish worships at a historic brick church built in 1902 on the original 1875 church site, and its Mass schedule rotates seasonally through the cluster of five parishes so that every community keeps a regular weekend Mass. Liturgies are celebrated in English, and the parish shares a priest team, Director of Religious Education, deacons, and Faith Formation staff with its sister parishes in the cluster.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick McLaughlin (Pastor of the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Patrick's gives Battle Creek Catholics a permanent place at the table in the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes, with a guaranteed weekend Mass in or near the village every season of the year and Sacramental preparation rooted in 150 years of local faith. Parishioners are served by a coordinated team — Father Patrick McLaughlin, associate pastors, two deacons, and Director of Religious Education Teresa Wilkinson — and share the wider family of parishes' faith formation, Confirmation, adult becoming-Catholic, and Called by Name revival life while keeping their own small-parish identity in the brick church on Third Street.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 pm (January 1–April 30, before 4:00 pm Mass)
- Saturday 5:15–5:45 pm (May 1–August 31, before 6:00 pm Mass)
- Sunday 7:15–7:45 am (September 1–December 31, before 8:00 am Mass)
Adoration times
- The Blessed Sacrament is reposed following Mass on Holy Thursday until the following Tuesday after 7:15 am Mass (family of parishes-wide schedule)
Parish History
St. Patrick's traces its origins to the Elkhorn Valley homestead of Philip Hughes, who walked out from Mississippi in 1866 and filed his claim at the Sioux City land office. He was joined by his brother Frank in 1869 and by Patrick O'Neill, one of the four founders of the village of Battle Creek. In 1872 the homesteaders petitioned the Bishop of Omaha for occasional priestly service, and on July 20, 1871 Father Ryan of Columbus said the first Mass ever offered in Madison County in the O'Neill log house. In February 1873 Father P. F. Bedard arrived at the Hughes homestead unannounced and rode out monthly thereafter to keep the scattered Catholics of Norfolk, Pierce, Madison, Oakdale, and Tilden supplied with the sacraments. On February 1, 1874 twenty-five families signed pledges for a Catholic church; ten acres adjacent to Battle Creek were donated by Civil War veteran James Orr, and lumber hauled from Sioux City by wagon that June was raised by carpenters Philip Beck and John McKerrigan. In May 1875 Father Bedard celebrated the parish's first Mass, and at the suggestion of Philip Hughes named the new church St. Patrick. Father Bedard was transferred to Yankton, South Dakota later that year and died in 1876.
The First Church and the Pioneers
The original 1875 church, preserved in the journal of Franciscan Father Anselm Puetz, was a 20-by-30-foot rough frame building without plastering, with rough boards on nail-keg pews, a board-and-mosquito-netting altar, and a confessional without a grating — yet, as he wrote, "this place was a palace." In 1882 Bishop O'Connor made St. Patrick's a mission of the newly organized Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk, and in 1884 a larger frame church replaced the little one in the cemetery. In the fall of 1885 Bishop James O'Connor came to Battle Creek and conferred the first Sacrament of Confirmation in Madison County.
- Founding families: Hughes, O'Neill, Kent, Orr, Carrabine, Corkle, Cramer, Buckley, McKerrigan, Beck
- First Confirmation in Madison County, fall 1885
The 1902 Brick Church
In 1900 Father Thomas Walsh, recently of Maynooth and pastor of Sacred Heart, and the parishioners of St. Patrick's sold the 1884 frame church and moved it to Third and Main. On the original site at Hale and Third Streets they built the present brick church, dedicated in 1902, with stained glass windows inscribed with the names of the early settler families: Hughes, O'Neill, Wade, Carrabine, Rooney, Skala, Simmons, and others. In 1906 Father Walsh asked Bishop R. Scannell to release him from Norfolk and make him pastor of St. Patrick's — answering at last the 1877 petition of the founders: "Reverend Sir: Would it be possible for you to send us a priest occasionally, until we can support one permanently." Family names of parishioners in 1902 included Barnes, Brink, Brown, Brozek, Connolly, Dittrick, Donnelly, Flood, Gillespie, Kent, Kirby, Lovelace, Lund, Magner, McCole, Preece, Risk, Richardson, Ruzik, Severa, Seifert, Smith, Sullivan, Taylor, and Walker.
- Brick church dedicated 1902
- Stained glass windows bear pioneer family names
- Father Walsh asked to be made St. Patrick's pastor in 1906
Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes
St. Patrick's is one of five parishes in the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes, led from Sacred Heart in Norfolk by Father Patrick McLaughlin. Sacred Heart (Norfolk), St. Joseph (Pierce), St. Peter (Stanton), St. Leonard (Madison), and St. Patrick (Battle Creek) share priests, deacons, and staff, and offer coordinated Sacramental preparation, faith formation, and seasonal liturgical services — including the bilingual Hispanic ministry led by Parochial Vicar Father Brian Hula. In 2025 the family hosted the Called by Name revival at Norfolk Catholic School and St. Mary's Church, drawing some 1,100 people from across Nebraska and out of state.
- Family of Parishes: Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, St. Peter, St. Leonard, St. Patrick
- Pastoral team: Fr. Patrick McLaughlin (pastor), Fr. Gregory Carl, Fr. Scott Schilmoeller, Fr. Vincent B. Germace, Fr. Brian Hula
- Two deacons assigned across the family: Dcn. Tom Hughes, Dcn. Mel Schaecher
Clergy and Staff
Parish life at St. Patrick's is supported by both clergy and lay staff shared across the Heart of Jesus family. Pastoral care is provided by Father Patrick McLaughlin as pastor, with associate and parochial vicars Fr. Gregory Carl, Fr. Scott Schilmoeller, Fr. Vincent B. Germace, and Fr. Brian Hula (the latter also oversees Hispanic Ministry). Two permanent deacons — Deacon Tom Hughes and Deacon Mel Schaecher — assist at the parish. Lay staff include Director of Religious Education Teresa Wilkinson (402-750-7888), maintenance lead Mike Burgett, and church custodian Marlene Schaecher.
- Director of Religious Education: Teresa Wilkinson — 402-750-7888
- Maintenance: Mike Burgett
- Custodian: Marlene Schaecher
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Patrick's is run by Director of Religious Education Teresa Wilkinson and covers Youth & Teen, Adult, and Becoming Catholic tracks. Confirmation is offered annually, with 8th-grade students prepared through the Religious Education program or Norfolk Catholic High School; adults preparing for Confirmation follow a separate track coordinated by Philip Zimmerman at the family of parishes office. First Communion in 2026 at St. Patrick's is scheduled for April 12 at 2:00 pm.
- Contact: Teresa Wilkinson, 402-750-7888
- Tracks: Youth & Teen, Adult, Becoming Catholic
- Adult Confirmation coordinator: Philip Zimmerman, 402-371-2621
- First Communion 2026 at St. Patrick's: April 12, 2:00 pm
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics of all ages for the Sacraments in coordination with the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes. Infant Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation (8th grade and Adult), Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are all available; Sacramental emergencies after office hours are handled by calling the Sacred Heart Parish Office (402-371-2621) and pressing option 3 to reach a priest.
- After-hours priest emergency: 402-371-2621, option 3
- Bilingual Confirmation prep: Ana Hernandez, 402-371-2621
Contact, Location, and Pastoral Emergencies
St. Patrick Catholic Church sits at 109 N. 3rd Street, Battle Creek, NE 68715 (mailing address: P.O. Box 40, Battle Creek, NE 68715), on the historic site of the original 1875 church at Hale and Third Streets. The parish phone is 402-675-6345. Day-to-day parish business is handled through the Sacred Heart Parish Office at 402-371-2621, open Monday–Wednesday 8:00 am–5:00 pm, Thursday 9:00 am–5:00 pm, and Friday 8:00 am–3:00 pm; after hours a voicemail answers and pressing option 3 pages a priest for Sacramental emergencies.
- Parish phone: 402-675-6345
- Sacred Heart Parish Office: 402-371-2621
- Office hours: M–W 8–5, Th 9–5, F 8–3
Community and Outreach
From its earliest days St. Patrick's parishioners have helped shape the civic life of Battle Creek: Patrick O'Neill was one of the four founders of the village, and the parish grew alongside the community from a handful of Catholics in 1875 to 130 families by the year 2000. Today the parish participates in the Heart of Jesus Family's outreach, including the 2025 Called by Name revival that drew roughly 1,100 people to Norfolk Catholic School and St. Mary's Church. A monthly weekday Mass is celebrated at Community Pride Care Center in Battle Creek (4th Thursday, 10:00 am), keeping the parish connected to elderly and homebound neighbors.
- 130 families by the year 2000
- Monthly Mass at Community Pride Care Center (4th Thursday, 10:00 am)
- Called by Name revival, May 30–31, 2025 (~1,100 attendees)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Ryan of Columbus1871
Said the first Mass ever offered in Madison County at the log house of Pat O'Neill in the Battle Creek settlement, July 20, 1871.
- Father P. F. Bedard1873–1876
Traveled monthly from his parish to say Mass in homes throughout the Elkhorn Valley; asked Philip Hughes to name the new church. Transferred to Yankton, SD; died 1876.
- Franciscan Fathers (Father Anselm Puetz and others)c. 1876–1877
Cared for the parish about a year at Bishop O'Connor's request; left the only surviving description of the first frame church.
- Father J. M. Smith1878–1882 (from O'Neill)
Rode seventy miles once a month from O'Neill to Battle Creek; later transferred to Sacred Heart, Norfolk in 1883.
- Father Ferdinand Lechleitner1883–1884 (as pastor of Norfolk)
Completed the larger frame church in the village in 1884 to replace the little church in the cemetery.
- Father Thomas Walsh1888–1906 (also pastor of Sacred Heart, Norfolk)
Designed and built the present brick church dedicated in 1902. In 1906 asked Bishop Scannell to be made pastor of St. Patrick's.
- Father Patrick McLaughlin2019–present
Pastor of Sacred Heart, Norfolk; in 2020 St. Patrick's Battle Creek joined his cluster, which became the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes in 2023.