About St. Rose of Lima · Genoa, Nebraska
St. Rose of Lima Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the rural community of Genoa, Nance County, Nebraska, belonging to the Archdiocese of Omaha. The parish was founded around 1900 and the present church building was dedicated in 1952, making it a more than century-old institution serving the small central-Nebraska town. It is part of Rural Family J, a family of parishes that also includes Ss. Peter and Paul (Krakow), St. Lawrence (Silver Creek), St. Edward (St. Edward), St. Michael (Central City), St. Anthony (Cedar Rapids), and St. Peter (Fullerton). From 1920 to 1934, priests assigned to St. Rose of Lima also ministered to Native American students (Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, and Winnebago) at the nearby Genoa Government Indian School.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Rev. William D. L'Heureux
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Rose of Lima is a small, tight-knit rural Catholic parish where generations of Genoa-area families have worshiped since 1900, making it a deeply rooted home for lifelong Catholics and newcomers alike. As part of the Archdiocese of Omaha's Rural Family J, the parish is shared by a single pastor and pastoral team with several neighboring mission parishes, offering the intimacy of a village congregation while still connecting members to the wider archdiocesan Church. Its 1952 church, continued sacramental and devotional life, and steady pastoral presence make it a welcoming place for anyone seeking Sunday Mass, the sacraments, and traditional Catholic community life in central Nebraska.
Mass times at St. Rose of Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM (please make the priest aware)
History of St. Rose of Lima Parish, Genoa
St. Rose of Lima in Genoa was founded around 1900, as confirmed by the local parish history 'St. Rose of Lima Church, Genoa, NE 1900-2000' held by the Nebraska State Genealogical Society. The first church's construction began in June 1900 and the cornerstone was laid on October 28, 1900. The parish grew with the small farming community of Genoa, the seat of Nance County. A second, larger church was built and dedicated in 1952. Throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, the parish has remained a small but active Roman Catholic congregation served by priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha.
- Parish founded: 1900
- Original church: cornerstone laid October 28, 1900
- Present church: dedicated 1952
- Centennial history volume held at Nebraska State Genealogical Society: 'St. Rose of Lima Church, Genoa, NE 1900-2000'
Ministry to the Genoa Indian School (1920–1934)
From 1920 to 1934, the priests of St. Rose of Lima also ministered to Native American students at the federal Genoa Government Indian School located in Genoa. These included children of the Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, and Winnebago nations who had been sent to the non-reservation boarding school. The sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, funerals) from those years form a single preserved volume held by the Archdiocese of Omaha archives and are documented in the Marquette University Guide to Catholic Records About Native Americans. This history places St. Rose of Lima among Nebraska parishes that participated in the Catholic response to federal Indian boarding-school policy.
- Ministry period: 1920–1934
- Students served: Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, and Winnebano
- Records held by the Archdiocese of Omaha (one volume of baptisms, marriages, funerals)
- Documented in Marquette University, Guide to Catholic Records About Native Americans (NE-2)
Rural Family J of the Archdiocese of Omaha
St. Rose of Lima is one of several parishes grouped together by the Archdiocese of Omaha as 'Rural Family J,' a collaborative grouping of small parishes in central Nebraska that share clergy and pastoral resources. This family includes parishes in Albion, Cedar Rapids, Central City, Clarks, Fullerton, Genoa (St. Rose of Lima and Ss. Peter and Paul-Krakow), Silver Creek, and St. Edward. The Archdiocese of Omaha's published 2024 and 2025 directories list Rev. William D. L'Heureux as pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish (Genoa) together with Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (Krakow), St. Lawrence Parish (Silver Creek), and St. Edward Parish (St. Edward).
- St. Rose of Lima Parish (Genoa)
- Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (Krakow)
- St. Lawrence Parish (Silver Creek)
- St. Edward Parish (St. Edward)
- Other family members: St. Michael (Central City), St. Anthony (Cedar Rapids), St. Peter (Fullerton), and parishes in Albion and Clarks
- Pastor: Rev. William D. L'Heureux
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Rose of Lima Parish is served by Rev. William D. L'Heureux as pastor, who also serves the other parishes in his portion of Rural Family J. He is listed in both the February 2024 and April 2025 Archdiocese of Omaha directories. A bookkeeper or parish office contact is reached via the email [email protected]. The parish shares a single telephone line with other Rural Family J parishes: (308) 773-2282.
- Pastor: Rev. William D. L'Heureux
- Parish office email: [email protected]
- Parish phone: (308) 773-2282
Visiting Genoa and the Parish
Genoa is a small rural community in Nance County in central Nebraska. Visitors to St. Rose of Lima will find the church at 116 N. Elm Street. Sunday Mass is at 8:00 AM and confessions are heard just before it, beginning at 7:30 AM; weekday Mass is celebrated on Wednesday at 7:30 AM. Because the pastor also serves other parishes in the family, those planning a visit — especially for weddings, baptisms, or funerals — are encouraged to call ahead. The town of Genoa itself is also of historical interest as the former site of the Genoa Indian Industrial School, and visitors interested in that history will find related context within the parish's own early-twentieth-century story.
- Street address: 116 N. Elm St., Genoa, NE 68640
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Confessions: Sunday 7:30–7:50 AM
- Wednesday Mass: 7:30 AM
- Phone to confirm: (308) 773-2282
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William D. L'Heureuxcurrent (at least 2024-2025 per Archdiocese of Omaha directory)
Listed as Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish (Genoa) and the other parishes of Rural Family J in both the February 2024 and April 2025 printable directories of the Archdiocese of Omaha.