About St. Wenceslaus · Bee, Nebraska
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Bee, Nebraska (Seward County), serving the local Czech-heritage farming community under the Diocese of Lincoln. The parish takes its name from St. Wenceslaus, patron saint of the Czech people, reflecting the village's Bohemian/Czech roots. It is canonically a mission of Assumption Parish in nearby Dwight and is currently pastored by Father Raymond Jansen. Sunday and weekday Masses are celebrated in English in the present church, which was dedicated in 1963 by Bishop James Casey after decades of volunteer-led growth that began with the first Mass in 1910.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- St. Wenceslaus (patron saint of the Czech people and of Bohemia)
- Rector
- Rev. Raymond (Father Raymond) Jansen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Deanery: David City)
Why belong here
St. Wenceslaus offers a close-knit, rural Catholic home in the heart of Nebraska's Czech-Catholic heritage. The parish gathers weekly for Sunday Mass and on Friday mornings, and the small village setting means parishioners know one another by name — visitors will find the same volunteer spirit that built the first $8,000 church in 1910 still at work in the parish's annual Chicken Dinner and community fundraisers. As a mission of Assumption Parish in Dwight under Father Raymond Jansen, the parish combines intimate small-town faith life with the wider sacramental and pastoral resources of the Diocese of Lincoln.
Mass times at St. Wenceslaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 7:00–7:15 a.m. (per Diocese of Lincoln directory)
- Sunday 7:30–7:45 a.m. (half hour before Sunday Mass, per the Village of Bee and Discover Mass)
Parish Identity and Czech Heritage
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is the Czech-heritage parish of the village of Bee, in Seward County, Nebraska. It belongs to the David City Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln and shares its pastor with Assumption Parish in Dwight. The choice of St. Wenceslaus — the martyred Duke of Bohemia and patron of the Czech people (feast day September 28) — points directly to the Bohemian immigrant roots of the village's founding Catholic families.
- Patron: St. Wenceslaus (feast day September 28)
- Deanery: David City
- Diocese: Lincoln
- Mission status: served alongside Assumption Parish, Dwight
History and Founding
The parish was born from a Czech Catholic farming community in the Bee area. Land purchased in 1909 became St. Wenceslaus Cemetery, providing the practical and spiritual impetus for building a church. Monsignor Alois J. Klein of Brainard, a legendary Czech priest-organizer in Nebraska, led eighteen families in constructing the first church with volunteer labor for $8,000; he celebrated the first Mass on October 19, 1910. Bee was designated as a mission of Assumption Parish, Dwight, and was cared for from Dwight by Rev. Michael Pazourek until 1918, when Rev. Joseph F. Bauer became its first resident pastor.
- 1909: Cemetery land purchased near Bee
- 1910: First church built (36x80 ft, 75-ft steeple); first Mass October 19, 1910; cost $8,000 with volunteer labor
- 1910: Designated a mission of Assumption Parish, Dwight
- May 7, 1918: Rev. Joseph F. Bauer becomes first resident pastor
- January 1, 1922: Rev. Fr. Zalud succeeds Father Bauer
Growth: The 1963 Church and Later Improvements
Fund-raising for a new parish center that would include a new church began in 1959. Ground was broken in 1962, and the present church was dedicated in 1963 by Bishop James Casey. In the decades since, the parish has continued to enhance its worship space and grounds; among the most notable additions is the Grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary, blessed by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz in 1998.
- 1959: Fund-raising for new parish center/church begins
- 1962: Ground-breaking
- 1963: New church dedicated by Bishop James Casey
- 1998: Grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary blessed by Bishop Bruskewitz
Parish Community and Fundraisers
Though small, St. Wenceslaus is described by the Village of Bee as 'very active in the community, hosting several events and fundraisers each year.' Its signature event is the annual Chicken Dinner held each April, a tradition that reflects both the volunteer spirit of the parish (which built its first church with $8,000 of donated labor in 1910) and its deep roots in the surrounding farm community.
- Annual Chicken Dinner (April)
- Community-hosted fundraisers and parish events
- Funeral dinners and parish hospitality
St. Wenceslaus Cemetery
The parish cemetery predates the present church: land was purchased in 1909 and dedicated as St. Wenceslaus Cemetery, providing both a place of burial for local Catholic families and the spiritual impetus for organizing a parish. The cemetery remains under parish care as part of its ongoing ministry to Bee-area families.
Contact and Visiting
St. Wenceslaus is located at 350 Elm Street in Bee, Nebraska (mailing: PO Box 146, Bee, NE 68314). Because the parish is canonically a mission of Assumption Parish in Dwight, day-to-day parish contact is routed through the Dwight parish office; the Lincoln Diocesan directory lists the parish phone as 402-566-2765 with a parish email published (anti-spam-protected) on the diocesan site. Visitors are encouraged to consult the parish bulletin for any schedule changes.
- Street address: 350 Elm Street, Bee, NE 68314
- Mailing address: PO Box 146, Bee, NE 68314
- Diocesan phone: 402-566-2765
- Partner parish website: http://dwightassumption.weebly.com (Assumption, Dwight)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Alois J. Klein (of Brainard)founder; celebrated first Mass October 19, 1910
Czech priest who organized the parish and built the first church with volunteer labor from eighteen families at a cost of $8,000.
- Rev. Michael Pazourek1910–1918
Incumbent at Assumption, Dwight; cared for the Bee mission until it received a resident pastor.
- Rev. Joseph F. Bauer1918–1922
First resident pastor (from May 7, 1918). Acquired thirteen additional lots and the Jacob Sedlak residence as the rectory.
- Rev. Fr. Zaludfrom January 1, 1922
Succeeded Father Bauer; described as 'present incumbent' in the 1920s Czechs-in-Nebraska history.
- Rev. Raymond Jansencurrent
Also pastor of Assumption Parish in Dwight; teaches philosophy in the diocese.