About St. Rose Of Lima · Crofton, Nebraska
St. Rose of Lima is a Roman Catholic parish in Crofton, Nebraska, part of the Archdiocese of Omaha. Founded in 1906 by 19 German-heritage Catholic farm families, it is one of the parishes that today form the collaborative 'Our Catholic Family' grouping that also includes All Saints, Holy Family, and Holy Angels parishes (12 church sites across the area). The parish is known for its historic 1908 frame church, a 1953 brick church that replaced it, and an adjoining Catholic grade school (PreK and 1–8) staffed for generations by the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:00 AM, with weekday Masses on Wednesday and Thursday morning and weekly Eucharistic Adoration and Confession on Wednesday evenings.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Fr. James Keiter
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Rose of Lima offers the small-town Catholic heart of northeast Nebraska: a historic parish founded by farming families in 1906, daily and Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays from 6 AM to 9 PM, and Confessions every Wednesday evening. The parish runs an attached Catholic grade school (PreK and 1–8) that has educated more than 2,000 students over its first century, and it shares priests and faith-formation resources with neighboring parishes through the 'Our Catholic Family' collaboration — so parishioners have access to youth religious formation, a Catholic school, and a full sacramental life in a tight-knit rural community.
Mass times at St. Rose Of Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Our Story — Parish History
The Catholic community that became St. Rose of Lima was born in 1906, when the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad finally reached Crofton and 19 German-heritage farm families — the Kuehns, Noeckers, Goetzes, Meyers, Sudbecks, Kremers, Willenbrings, Werthmans, Rohes, Hegges, Perks, Biernbaums, Schumachers, Thunckers, McCabes, Caseys, Schaefer, and Reifenraths — decided to build a church of their own. Until then they had been traveling to St. Joseph's in Constance, sometimes on the railroad section men's handcar. In winter they squeezed into the John B. Kuehn home, where Father Adam Brass said Mass in the open double parlor. The parish was incorporated in Omaha on October 8, 1906 in the presence of Bishop Richard Scannell, and the first little frame church was dedicated January 29, 1908. A new brick church replaced it in 1953, and the church-and-school complex was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
- Parish incorporated October 8, 1906 in Omaha with Bishop Scannell
- First frame church dedicated January 29, 1908
- New church designed by architect James Loftus, dedicated May 12, 1953
- First resident pastor: Father Adam Brass (1908–1909)
- First nuptial Mass: John Rupiper & Anna Werthman, Sept. 8, 1908
- First baptisms: Alma Thunker and Alphonse John Kuehn, Nov. 15, 1908
- Golden Jubilee celebrated June 10, 1958 with Archbishop Bergan
St. Rose Catholic School
St. Rose School opened in the fall of 1911 under the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with three Sisters in the first year and five the next. Father Anthony Alberts built it in 1910–1911 in response to the Vatican's call for parish schools; the contract went to Henry F. Woerth of Scribner, Nebraska for $11,950, with heating and furniture bringing the total to about $16,907. The first class had 17 students — ten boys and seven girls. The school has continued without interruption for more than a century, with the School Sisters of St. Francis serving until 2007. Today St. Rose Catholic School serves PreK and grades 1–8 under Principal Jenn Fiscus, and integrates daily religion classes, weekly Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, a weekly Friday Rosary, daily prayer services, special Lenten and Advent services and projects, Holy Day and saints' feast day celebrations, and visits to local Catholic shrines.
- Founded 1911 by Father Anthony Alberts
- Staffed by the School Sisters of St. Francis (Milwaukee) from 1911 to 2007
- First class of 17 students in 1911
- Over 2,000 graduates through eighth grade in the first 100 years
- Today serves PreK and grades 1–8
- Principal: Jenn Fiscus
- Phone: (402) 388-4393
Sacraments
St. Rose of Lima celebrates the full sacramental life of the Church. Baptisms are typically scheduled through the parish office, First Holy Communion is prepared through the parish school and youth faith formation, marriages are arranged with the pastor in advance, and Confession is available weekly as well as by appointment. Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral needs are coordinated through Fr. James Keiter and the parish staff.
- Baptism
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation (through youth faith formation)
- Matrimony
- Confession / Reconciliation
- Anointing of the Sick
Parish Campus & Cemetery
The St. Rose campus occupies Lots 1–4 of Block 26 in Crofton's Park Addition, purchased from the Talcotts and Matthews on October 19, 1906 for $375. The 1953 brick church, the 1911 school building (later expanded), and the adjoining parish facilities all sit on the same block on West 5th Street. A two-acre parish cemetery was purchased one mile west of the church on September 28, 1909, from John Meyer, for $200, and continues to serve the parish community.
- Church site: Lots 1–4, Block 26, Park Addition, Crofton
- Parish cemetery: two-acre tract one mile west of the church (purchased 1909)
- St. Rose School site (Lots 15–18), purchased 1910
Our Catholic Family Collaboration
St. Rose of Lima is one of the parishes that make up 'Our Catholic Family,' an Archdiocese of Omaha collaboration that includes All Saints, Holy Family, St. Rose of Lima, and Holy Angels parishes and spans 12 church sites across northeast Nebraska. The collaborative shares clergy and staff, including Fr. James Keiter (pastor), Fr. Marcus Knecht (associate pastor), Deacon Shane Kleinschmit, Alex Nissen (Executive Assistant to the Pastor and Finance Director), Marnie Kleinschmit (Director of Finance), Lynette Pinkelman (Secretary / Bulletin Editor for All Saints, Holy Family, and St. Rose of Lima), and Erin Foxhoven (Administrative Assistant at the St. Rose office). Together they coordinate Mass schedules, religious formation, evangelization, and parish services across the region.
- Fr. James Keiter — Pastor
- Fr. Marcus Knecht — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Shane Kleinschmit
- Alex Nissen — Executive Assistant to the Pastor and Finance Director
- Marnie Kleinschmit — OCF Director of Finance
- Lynette Pinkelman — Secretary / Bulletin Editor
- Erin Foxhoven — Administrative Assistant, St. Rose of Lima office
- 12 church sites across the collaboration
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Rose of Lima, located at 1316 W. 5th Street in Crofton, Nebraska. The parish school is at 1302 W. 5th St., P.O. Box 176, Crofton, NE 68730. For pastoral needs, contact Fr. James Keiter through the Our Catholic Family office (402-357-3506) or email [email protected]. The St. Rose parish office can be reached at (402) 388-4814 during office hours, which follow the school calendar. The parish's full website, Our Catholic Family, hosts Mass times, bulletins, the parish history, and contact information for every church in the collaboration.
- Parish address: 1316 W. 5th St., Crofton, NE 68730
- School address: 1302 W. 5th St., P.O. Box 176, Crofton, NE 68730
- Parish office phone: (402) 388-4814
- Our Catholic Family office: (402) 357-3506
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Website: ourcatholicfamily.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Louis Becker1906 (at incorporation)
Present as pastor at the October 8, 1906 incorporation meeting of St. Rose of Lima in Omaha with Bishop Scannell.
- Rev. Adam Brass1906–1909
Attendant pastor from Constance (winter 1906–07 celebrated Mass in the Kuehn home); first resident pastor from August 20, 1908; celebrated the parish's first nuptial Mass and first baptisms; remained until July 1909.
- Rev. Anthony Alberts1909–1916
Arrived July 6, 1909; received the first First Holy Communion class (April 3, 1910); purchased parish cemetery land (1909); oversaw 1911 sanctuary addition and the building and 1911 dedication of St. Rose School with the School Sisters of St. Francis; transferred to Coleridge in September 1916.
- Father Westermann1953
Celebrant of the Solemn High Mass at the dedication of the new St. Rose of Lima Church on May 12, 1953.
- Fr. James Keitercurrent
Current pastor of Our Catholic Family (the collaborative grouping of All Saints, Holy Family, St. Rose of Lima, and Holy Angels parishes).