About St. Patrick · Tekamah, Nebraska
St. Patrick Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Tekamah, Nebraska, in the Missouri River valley about 45 miles north of Omaha. Founded in 1889, it has been part of the Trinity Catholic Parishes cluster alongside St. Francis Borgia in Blair and St. John the Baptist in Fort Calhoun. The parish serves over 150 families and is well known for its annual Lenten fish fries. It is part of the Archdiocese of Omaha and falls within its Metro East Deanery.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Father Damien Wee
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha (Metro East Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Patrick Parish is a welcoming rural faith community of more than 150 households in the Missouri River valley that combines the steady faith of founding families with the vitality of new, young members. Worship is offered in an intimate setting with weekend and weekday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday evenings, religious education, vacation Bible school, adult educational opportunities, and support for the local food pantry. The parish is also well known across the region for its Lenten fish fries, which draw an average of several hundred people on most Fridays during Lent.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 7:40 p.m. until the last person (after the 6:30 p.m. Mass at St. Patrick)
- Or by individual appointment via the Central Office at 402.426.3823
Parish History
St. Patrick Parish traces its origins to 1889, when the Tobin brothers and other pioneering families — who until then had driven nearly 20 miles by horse and buggy to Mass in Blair — built Tekamah's first small Catholic church. The parish's ministry grew under pastors such as Msgr. Joseph Aughney (who built a 1927 church dedicated to St. Patrick by Bishop Francis J. Beckman) and Father James Kramper (who shepherded the 2006 construction of the current church on the western edge of town). In 2014 the congregation of more than 350 celebrated its 125th anniversary with Archbishop George J. Lucas, installing a marble statue of St. Patrick and publishing a parish history and pictorial directory.
- Founded in 1889 by the Tobin brothers and other founding families
- First Catholic church in Tekamah: a 20-by-40-foot wooden building dedicated to St. Joseph, built with $1,500
- 1927 church built under Msgr. Joseph Aughney; rededicated to St. Patrick by Bishop Beckman in 1928
- Current church constructed in 2006 with funding from parishioner James Fischer
- 125th anniversary celebrated in 2014 with Archbishop George J. Lucas
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
St. Patrick offers both weekend and weekday Mass within the Trinity Catholic Parishes cluster. The weekend Mass is celebrated on Saturday evening, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation immediately after, and a weekday Mass is offered on Wednesday morning. Parishioners may also attend other Mass times across the clustered parishes or arrange individual appointments through the Central Office.
- Saturday Mass: 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 7:40 p.m. until the last person
- Appointments available via the Central Office at 402.426.3823
Parish Leadership and Staff
St. Patrick is shepherded by the pastor of Trinity Catholic Parishes, supported by deacons who serve across the cluster, and staffed by parish coordinators for religious education, evangelization and youth ministry. The parish hall is maintained by a dedicated team, and the Trinity Central Office in Blair handles day-to-day parish operations.
- Father Damien Wee — Pastor (Trinity Catholic Parishes)
- Deacon Jeff Zurek (Blair) — also coordinates Youth Ministry with Darla Zurek
- Deacon Jerry Mapes (Fort Calhoun) — 402.510.8222
- Deacon Paul Cerio (Fort Calhoun) — 402.676.0469
- Sam Minarik — Evangelization Coordinator
- Rachel Olson — Religious Education Coordinator (Tekamah)
- Beth Holdridge — Office Manager
- Darryl Childs — Maintenance (Blair)
- Theresa Gebhardt — Maintenance & Cleaning (Fort Calhoun)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Trinity Catholic Parishes offers religious education programming for children and adults, including the Catholic 101 OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process for those exploring the Catholic faith. Religious education classes for the Tekaham community are coordinated by Rachel Olson.
- Religious Education program (Tekamah)
- Catholic 101 / OCIA for adults — Thursday evenings, 6:00–8:00 p.m. (dinner at 6:00 p.m., class 6:30–8:00 p.m.), September through April/May
- Vacation Bible School
- Adult educational opportunities
Parish Life and Outreach
St. Patrick is known throughout the region for its beloved Lenten Fish Fry Fridays, which typically draw several hundred people on most Fridays during Lent. The parish hall hosts social functions and supports the local food pantry along with other efforts serving those in need in the surrounding area.
- Lenten Fish Fry Fridays
- Parish hall social functions
- Support for the local food pantry
- Outreach to those in need in the surrounding community
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the sacraments and prepares parishioners for them, with Reconciliation offered Saturday evenings and other sacraments arranged by appointment through the Central Office. Adult initiation into the Catholic Church is supported through the Catholic 101 OCIA program that runs from September to the Easter Vigil.
- Reconciliation — Saturday 7:40 p.m. after Mass
- Baptism and Marriage — by appointment through the parish office
- OCIA / Catholic 101 — Thursdays September through Easter Vigil
- First Eucharist and Confirmation — through Religious Education
Visiting and Contact
St. Patrick Catholic Church is located at 3480 West Highway 32 in Tekamah, Nebraska. The Central Office for Trinity Catholic Parishes is in Blair at St. Francis Borgia and can be reached at 402.426.3823 for appointments, registration, and general parish business.
- Address: 3480 W. Hwy 32, Tekamah, NE 68061
- Central Office: St. Francis Borgia, 2005 Davis Drive, Blair, NE 68008
- Phone: 402.426.3823
- Website: https://www.trinitycatholicparishes.org/st-patrick
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Englebert Schmittlate 1880s
A Blair priest who came to preside at Masses in the homes of the founding Tekamah families.
- Msgr. Joseph Aughneyappointed 1921
Built the 1927 church for $14,000; Bishop Beckman dedicated it to St. Patrick in 1928. He also arranged the adoption of orphan James Fischer.
- Father James Kramper
Led the parish when the current 2006 church was built with funding from parishioner James Fischer. Later pastor of St. Peter de Alcántara Parish in Ewing, St. John the Baptist in Deloit Township and St. Theresa of Avila in Clearwater.
- Father Mark Tomasiewiczas of 2014
Pastor at the time of the 125th anniversary celebration.
- Rev. Kevin J. Joyce
Listed as pastor in older parish directories.