About St. Peter · Stanton, Nebraska
St. Peter Parish is a small Catholic parish in Stanton, Nebraska, founded in 1893 to serve German, Bohemian, and English-speaking Catholic families who settled near the Stanton City Park. Today the parish is one of five (later six) small rural parishes in the Heart of Jesus Catholic Family of Parishes, clustered under the pastoral leadership of Sacred Heart in Norfolk and administered by Fr. Patrick McLaughlin. It is a tight-knit country parish known for its long-serving choir, active Altar Society and Knights of Columbus, Wednesday-evening religious education program, and a spacious parish hall that hosts community gatherings for the wider Stanton area.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick McLaughlin
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Peter's is a small, country parish where practically everyone knows your name — Altar Society funeral dinners, a Knights of Columbus council that leads the rosary and funds scholarships, a parish choir whose pianist/organist Marrianne Psota marked 75 years serving the parish in 2025, Wednesday-evening religious education for K–12, and a brand-new parish hall that hosts the annual Spring Dinner and other community events. As part of the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes, St. Peter's shares priests and resources with Sacred Heart Norfolk, St. Leonard Madison, St. Patrick Battle Creek, St. Joseph Pierce, and St. Mary's Norfolk, so parishioners also have access to bilingual Masses, weekday Masses at sister parishes, and parish-school opportunities in Norfolk.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday, 7:15–7:45 am (before 8:00 am Mass), at St. Peter's Church, 1504 Ivy St, Stanton
Parish History
St. Peter's traces its roots to 1892, when Fr. Joseph Roesing celebrated the first Mass at the home of Joseph Hakl with Fr. James Aherne assisting. By March 1893, Joe Karmann, John LammII, Otto Shaby, Sigmund Armbruster, and William Ryan had secured lots north of Stanton City Park, and a frame church plus parsonage were built. The dedication overflowed with parishioners hearing preaching in German, Bohemian, and English. The parish grew, expanded, and in 1967 began construction of the present brick church, dedicated in May 1970. The parish hall with classrooms and a new rectory were added under Fr. Timothy Lange in the 2000s.
- 1892 — first Mass at the home of Joseph Hakl
- 1893 — frame church and parsonage built north of Stanton City Park
- 1914 — Fr. A. Jarzemski appointed as first resident pastor
- 1967 — groundbreaking on present brick church (July 27)
- 1968 — cornerstone laid (January 11); first wedding (August 10)
- 1970 — formal dedication (May)
- 2005 — new rectory built under Fr. Timothy Lange
- Parish hall with classrooms added under Fr. Lange
Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes
Because of the priest shortage, in 2019 Fr. Patrick McLaughlin — with the approval of Archbishop George Lucas — formed the Heart of Jesus Catholic Family of Parishes. St. Peter's in Stanton was a founding member alongside Sacred Heart in Norfolk and St. Leonard in Madison; St. Patrick in Battle Creek and St. Joseph in Pierce later joined the cluster, and St. Mary's in Norfolk is also part of the family. The family shares priests (Pastor Fr. McLaughlin and Parochial Vicars Fr. Vincent Germace and Fr. Brian Hula) and a common bulletin, and together they publish a rotating Mass schedule across the year.
- Sacred Heart, Norfolk
- St. Mary, Norfolk
- St. Peter's, Stanton
- St. Leonard, Madison
- St. Patrick, Battle Creek
- St. Joseph, Pierce
Ministries & Organizations
St. Peter's runs a small but active set of parish organizations, each with named lay contacts on the parish website. The Altar Society has long provided funeral dinners and sponsors the annual Spring Dinner. The Knights of Columbus lead the rosary before Mass, host hamburger feeds for religious education, and fund scholarships. The Adult Choir — currently directed by Mary Campbell and featuring long-serving pianist/organist Marrianne Psota — is complemented by a Youth Choir and a monthly Youth Mass. The Parish Leadership Council meets quarterly with the pastor to guide local operations and fundraising.
- Altar Society — contact Barb Wurdinger (402-564-4392)
- Adult Choir — contact Mary Campbell (402-439-2040)
- Knights of Columbus — contact Derek Nordby (1-870-532-7621)
- Parish Leadership Council
- Youth Choir & Youth Mass
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education classes are offered at St. Peter's for grades K through 12 each Wednesday evening during the regular school year, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. A Wednesday school-year Mass is offered monthly at 7:30 pm, when class is extended to 8:00 pm. The youth group for students in grades 7 through 12 meets for Religious Education every other Wednesday evening and is involved in service projects throughout the year.
- K–6 Religious Education — Wed 6:30–7:30 pm
- 7–12 Youth Group — every other Wed 6:30–7:30 pm
- Monthly school-year Mass — Wed at 7:30 pm
- Coordinator (St. Peter's): Gretchen Hupp — (402) 860-4286
- Rel. Ed. Coordinator (grades K–12 family-wide): Kim Spence — (402) 851-1394
Music & Liturgy
Music at St. Peter's is a point of great parish pride. In 2025, Marrianne Psota celebrated 75 years of serving St. Peter's as pianist and organist — she and Mary Campbell currently direct and accompany the Adult Choir for liturgies throughout the year. A separate Youth Choir supports a monthly Youth Mass.
- Marrianne Psota — 75 years of music ministry (as of 2025)
- Mary Campbell — choir director/accompanist
- Adult Choir
- Youth Choir & Youth Mass
Staff & Contact
St. Peter's is staffed as part of the Heart of Jesus Family of Parishes with shared clergy and a parish office located in the basement of the rectory, north of the church at 1504 Ivy St., Stanton, NE 68779. Phone lines route through the Sacred Heart Church Office.
- Rev. Patrick McLaughlin — Pastor (402-371-2621)
- Rev. Vincent Germace — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Brian Hula — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Al Wolverton (402-439-2627 / cell 402-750-2054)
- Parish office in the rectory basement
- After-hours emergency line: 402-992-9411
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Roesing / Fr. James Aherne1892–early
Aherne was the founding missionary priest who celebrated the first Mass at the home of Joseph Hakl in 1892 and was later appointed pastor of Stanton and Wisner.
- Fr. A. Jarzemski1914–
First resident pastor, appointed after 75 families petitioned the Bishop of Omaha for a resident priest.
- Fr. Peter Dunne1967–1968
Laid the cornerstone of the present brick church on January 11, 1968.
- Fr. Kenneth Carl1968–1975
Presided over the formal dedication of the new church in May 1970; reassigned in 1975.
- Fr. Gill1975–1978
Succeeded Fr. Carl as pastor.
- Fr. John Rizzo1978–1986
Pastor of St. Peter's Church.
- Fr. Timothy Lange1986–2008
Longest-tenured recent pastor; oversaw construction of the new rectory (2005) and the spacious parish hall with classrooms.
- Fr. Jerry Connealy2008–2019
Celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination on May 5, 2012, the same day Deacon Al Wolverton was ordained; marked his 30th anniversary in 2017.
- Fr. Patrick McLaughlin2019–present
Current pastor; created the Heart of Jesus Catholic Family of Parishes with the approval of Archbishop George Lucas.