About St. Patrick · Utica, Nebraska
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a small mission parish in the village of Utica, Nebraska, part of the Diocese of Lincoln (York Deanery) and served as a mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Beaver Crossing. Worship is celebrated on alternate Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., with a Monday evening Mass and 30 minutes of confession before each Mass. The parish traces its roots to the Irish and German Catholic families who settled along the Burlington Railroad in the 1870s, and its present brick church, built in 1915 in butternut Gothic style, was recently returned to its decorative glory through a parish-wide beautification project.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Mark Huber
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (York Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Patrick's is a multi-generational farm-family parish where members of every age worship together in a beautifully restored 1915 church. With CCD/Religious Education classes, a Legion of Mary that meets Monday evenings, a Memorial Day Mass at the historic parish cemetery, and a welcoming tradition of confessions before every Mass, it offers a close-knit rural Catholic community within the Diocese of Lincoln.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Mass (Sunday and Monday)
Parish Identity
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a mission parish in the Diocese of Lincoln (York Deanery), served as a mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Beaver Crossing. It is led by Rev. Msgr. Mark Huber and identified by the Diocese of Lincoln parish code 790. The patron is St. Patrick, the great evangelist of Ireland whose shamrock the parish has woven into its decorative program.
- Patron: St. Patrick
- Diocese: Lincoln (York Deanery)
- Type: Mission of Sacred Heart, Beaver Crossing
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Mark Huber
History
Catholic life in the Utica area traces to the Irish and German families who came west with the Burlington Railroad in the 1870s. The first Mass was said in 1880 in the old section house, and in 1882 twenty-two families pooled $35 to buy land and $852 to build the first wood-frame church, dedicated to St. Patrick by the Bishop of the Omaha Diocese.
- 1877: Sixteen Irish and German Catholic families settled in the area
- 1880: First Mass in the old section house
- 1882: First frame church built on an acre purchased from George Wright for $35
- Founding fathers: Florian Geiger, Mathias Noel, Wendelin Buller, William Leif, Frederich Rohren, James O'Donnell, Thomas McNiff
The 1915 Church
By 1913, the frame church was aging and thirty-five families decided to build a new brick church. Under Reverend John J. Murphy, a contract was signed with builder Monsieur Green of Manhattan, Kansas, and architect H.W. Brinkman of Emporia, Kansas. Construction began in March 1915; the building was completed in November 1915 at a total cost of $10,201.95 and was paid in full by 1916.
- Butternut Gothic main altar and side altars
- Communion rail, confessional, 30 white oak pews and kneelers ($1,210)
- Windows installed for $348
- Old frame church sold for $300, moved 5½ blocks, later burned
Recent Beautification Project
About five years before the project, the parish completed major structural repairs — replacing the bell tower, updating flooring and replastering interior walls. With the leadership of Msgr. Mark Huber, art historian Mary Ellen Kudron and muralist David Reiser (both of St. Patrick Parish in Lincoln) guided the next step: returning the interior to something like its original painted appearance.
- Nine stained-glass windows framed with green shamrocks and gold crosses
- Golden 'Holy Holy Holy' arch over the sanctuary
- Chi-rho symbols and Greek crosses in the niche behind the wood high altar
- Eagle Scout project by Devin Slawnyk: white benches installed across the parish campus
Parish Cemetery
Three acres of burial ground one mile east and one-half mile south of Utica were purchased in 1884 by Bishop James O'Connor for $150 from George Wright. Burials were not formally recorded until 1904. The cemetery is tended by parishioners and includes a grotto with a statue of the Blessed Virgin (built 1958, replaced 1972), an outdoor granite altar (installed May 2002), a sundial in memory of Mike Slawnyk, decorative wrought iron gates, and the old Utica Public Schools flag pole.
- Grotto with statue of the Blessed Virgin (1958/1972)
- Outdoor granite altar installed May 2002
- Memorial Day Mass established 1994 by Father Patrick Murphy
- Mass also said for Veterans' funerals
Parish Life & Ministries
St. Patrick's is described by the parish itself as 'a mixture of all ages with many farm families, united with the Lord in his church and reaching out to bring others the good news of our Catholic Faith.' Religious Education (CCD) classes are offered, the Legion of Mary meets Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m., and the parish gathers for an annual Memorial Day Mass at the cemetery.
- Religious Education / CCD classes
- Legion of Mary — Monday 6:00 p.m.
- Memorial Day Mass at the cemetery
- Parish beautification committee
Contact & Visiting
The parish shares its clergy and administration with its parent parish, Sacred Heart in Beaver Crossing. The street address is 110 3rd Street, Utica, NE 68456; the mailing address is PO Box 208, Beaver Crossing, NE 68313. The parish phone line is 402-532-2545.
- Street: 110 3rd Street, Utica, NE 68456
- Mailing: PO Box 208, Beaver Crossing, NE 68313
- Phone: 402-532-2545
- Parish site: sacredheartcatholicbc.org/saint-patrick-s
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend C.F. Quinn1882
Resident pastor of Seward Catholic Church; oversaw construction of the first frame church.
- Reverend John J. Murphy1915
Led the building of the present brick church.
- Father Patrick Murphy1994
Established the Memorial Day Mass at the parish cemetery.
- Rev. Msgr. Mark Huber
Current pastor; led the interior and exterior beautification project and earlier bell-tower/structural repairs.