About St. Wenceslaus · Wilber, Nebraska
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is a small Czech-heritage parish serving the town of Wilber, Nebraska — the self-proclaimed 'Czech Capital of the USA' and site of the annual Czech Days festival. It belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln (Crete Deanery) and shares its pastor with the mission church of St. Joseph in Tobias. The parish traces its roots to one of the earliest Czech Catholic communities in Nebraska (founded in the early 1880s), and its current church, dedicated in 1949, is filled with Czech Catholic devotional art — including stained glass of St. Ludmila and St. Wenceslaus, a painting of St. Wenceslaus from the parish's first church, and statues of the Infant Jesus of Prague and Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. Wenceslaus (Duke of Bohemia, patron of the Czech people)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Barnhill
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln (Crete Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Wenceslaus is a small, tight-knit rural parish that still carries the living heritage of Nebraska's oldest Czech Catholic community — visible in its stained-glass saints, its 1882 painting of St. Wenceslaus, and its devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Weekend Mass is celebrated Saturday evening and Sunday morning (with seasonal hour shifts), confession is available 30 minutes before each Mass, and the parish runs an active CCD / youth faith-formation program. It shares ministry with its mission church of St. Joseph in Tobias, and parishioners benefit from the pastoral attention of Father Robert Barnhill, who blends traditional priestly ministry (he blessed the entire parish territory from a small plane) with active involvement in diocesan spiritual-advisory work.
Mass times at St. Wenceslaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday — 30 minutes before Mass (≈ 3:30 p.m.)
- Sunday — 30 minutes before Mass
- Sunday at St. Joseph, Tobias — 7:30–7:55 a.m.
- Or by appointment (call the parish office)
About St. Wenceslaus Parish
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is the historic Czech-heritage parish of Wilber, Nebraska — a town known as the 'Czech Capital of the USA.' It belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln (Crete Deanery) and shares its pastor with the mission church of St. Joseph in Tobias. The parish serves a small rural community with weekend Masses, a CCD / youth faith-formation program, Altar Society work, and outreach to those in need through emergency-assistance and food-pantry partnerships.
- Address: 501 N Wilson, Wilber, NE 68465
- Mailing: PO Box 706, Wilber, NE 68465
- Phone: (402) 821-2689
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stwenceslauswilber.org
- Mission church: St. Joseph, Tobias
History of the Parish
The parish traces to one of the earliest Czech Catholic communities in Nebraska. Early Czech settlers arrived after 1865, but lacked a church, Czech-speaking priests, and funds. Rev. Frantisek Smutny began building a church in 1878 that burned before completion; Rev. Filip Maly, S.J. arrived in 1880, celebrated Mass in the depot and dance hall, and in 1882 purchased and renovated a former Church of Christ building as St. Wenceslaus. The present church was built in 1949 under Father Jerome Benedict Pokorny and blessed by Bishop Louis B. Kucera on November 30, 1949. Parish dinners (1950–1963), a 1997 improvement campaign (hall, CCD, rectory) and a 2001 elevator/lighting/roof project marked later chapters; in recent years a multi-phase Willet Stained Glass Studios project filled the church with saints in glass.
- 1878 — Rev. Frantisek Smutny arrives; first church attempt burns
- 1880 — Rev. Filip Maly, S.J. arrives; Masses in depot and dance hall
- 1882 — Former Church of Christ building purchased and renovated as St. Wenceslaus
- 1883 — Parish recorded in diocesan history
- 1948–1949 — Present church built; blessed Nov. 30, 1949 by Bishop Louis B. Kucera
- 1950–1963 — Large parish dinners
- 1997 — Comprehensive improvement plan (hall, CCD, rectory)
- 2001 — Elevator installed, parking-lot lighting, roof repairs
- Recent — Willet Stained Glass Studios multi-phase window project
Architecture & Devotional Art
The current church is a modest 32' x 100' building completed in 1949 and richly appointed with Czech Catholic devotional art. Its most distinctive features are the multi-phase Willet Stained Glass Studios windows, the 1882 painting of St. Wenceslaus, the Infant Jesus of Prague in the nave alcove, and statues of St. John Nepomucene (east sanctuary) and the 'Apostles of the Slavs,' Sts. Cyril and Methodius, on the choir-loft facing.
- Stained-glass entry doors of St. Ludmila and St. Wenceslaus
- Sanctuary rose window — Dove of the Holy Spirit
- Sanctuary lancets — St. Wenceslaus (east) and Pentecost (west)
- Eighteen additional saints/windows — Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Holy Innocents, St. John the Baptist, etc.
- Four apostle windows, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Katherine Drexel
- 1882 painting of St. Wenceslaus (west sanctuary wall)
- Infant Jesus of Prague statue (west nave alcove)
- Statues of St. John Nepomucene and Sts. Cyril & Methodius
- 2001 elevator and accessibility upgrade
Clergy & Staff
Rev. Robert Barnhill is the current pastor of St. Wenceslaus, Wilber and St. Joseph, Tobias. He was appointed in June 2024 and is a veteran and former chaplain of the Air National Guard. Beyond the parish, he serves as spiritual advisor of the Magnificat lay ministry in the diocese. The parish also benefits from lay ministers, including acolytes such as John Cox.
- Pastor — Rev. Robert Barnhill (appointed June 2024)
- Acolyte — John Cox (also a licensed pilot and physics teacher at St. Pius X High School, Lincoln)
- Office contact — (402) 821-2689 / [email protected]
Youth Faith Formation (CCD)
St. Wenceslaus runs a parish-based Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) program for the religious education of its children. A 2025-2026 CCD calendar is published on the parish website. (The parish's 1949 church plan included dedicated CCD space, and 1997 renovations specifically upgraded the CCD center alongside the parish hall and rectory office.)
- 2025-2026 CCD Calendar — published on stwenceslauswilber.org
- CCD Center — renovated 1997
Parish Outreach & Society Life
The parish has a long tradition of communal meals and charitable work. The Altar Society brings meals to families in need, donates food, and supports the food pantry and right-to-life organizations. The parish also participates in the Crete Deanery Council of Catholic Women and supports emergency-assistance work (rent, utilities, emergency cash) and referrals to Catholic Counseling through Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska.
- Altar Society meals for families in need
- Food pantry and right-to-life support
- Crete Deanery CCW involvement
- Emergency-assistance referrals (rent, utilities, cash)
- Catholic Counseling referrals via immaculateheartcounseling.org
Czech Heritage & Wilber
Wilber was the first Czech settlement in Nebraska (founded 1865) and is widely known as the 'Czech Capital of the USA,' hosting the annual Czech Days festival. St. Wenceslaus is the spiritual heart of that community — every September 28 (the Feast of St. Wenceslaus, a public holiday in the Czech Republic) the parish and town together honor the patron of Bohemia.
- First Czech settlement in Nebraska (1865)
- Wilber — 'Czech Capital of the USA'
- Annual Czech Days festival
- St. Wenceslaus — patron of Bohemia and of the parish
- Feast Day — September 28
Sacraments & Pastoral Services
Pastoral services (baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick) are arranged through the parish office; funerals and other liturgical rites are scheduled in coordination with Father Barnhill. Confession is heard 30 minutes before each weekend Mass or by appointment.
- Baptism — by appointment
- Marriage — by appointment
- Confession — 30 minutes before Mass or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Visit, Contact & Directions
The parish office can be reached by phone, mail, or the contact form on stwenceslauswilber.org. Weekly bulletins are posted in PDF on the parish website. The church sits on a pine-shaded lot in the historic Czech quarter of Wilber, with a lit parking lot and an elevator added in 2001 for accessibility.
- Phone: (402) 821-2689 (with answering machine)
- Mailing: PO Box 706, Wilber, NE 68465
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stwenceslauswilber.org
- Weekly parish bulletin (PDF) available online
- Accessibility: elevator (installed 2001); lit parking lot
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Frantisek Smutny1878 (briefly)
One of three 'pioneer priests' of Nebraska Czech ministry; began building a church on Third Street east of the railroad tracks, which was struck by lightning and burned before completion.
- Rev. Filip Maly, S.J.1880–c.1887
Born 1840 in Paclavice near Kroměříž, Moravia; ordained 1869; celebrated Mass in the railroad depot and Hokuf's Dance Hall; purchased and renovated the former Church of Christ Congregation building in 1882 as St. Wenceslaus.
- Rev. Matej Bor1888–
Born Dec. 21, 1863, Chrastavice, Bohemia; ordained March 18, 1888 by Archbishop Hess; at the time of the historical account was the oldest Czech priest in Nebraska by years and length of service; killed in an automobile accident Nov. 20, 1927.
- Rev. Alois S. Klein1892–1894
- Rev. Francis Zalud1894–1897
- Rev. Bartik (of Milligan)1897–1899
Assisted from neighboring Milligan.
- Rev. Vaclav Pokorny1899–1902
- Rev. Adolph Mosler (of Crete)1902–1908
- Rev. Hancik (of Crete)1908–1914
- Rev. F. J. Kopecky1915–
- Rev. V. Supik1917–1920
- Rev. Francis CernyOct. 1921–Mar. 1922
- Rev. Michael Pazourekby 1925
- Rev. J. S. Hotovyby 1925
- Father Jerome Benedict Pokornythrough 1949
His vision produced the present church, built 1949 at a cost of $24,069 and blessed by Bishop Louis B. Kucera on November 30, 1949.