St. Michael's Catholic Church at 715 Creighton, Hastings, NE 68901 US - HISTORY OF ST. MICHAEL’S PARISH
HISTORY OF ST. MICHAEL’S PARISH |
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| The old Saint Michael's built in 1905. |
Until 1940, St. Cecilia’s parish included all Catholics of Hastings. In May 1941, Monsignor Michael Grogan purchased a chapel of ease for the Catholic population in southern Hastings. It was located at the corner of C Street and South Lexington and formerly used as a Lutheran church and then as the Church of God.
On February 1, 1945 an official decree was issued by Bishop Louis Kucera establishing St. Michael’s as an independent parish for all Catholics south of the Burlington railroad tracks. In 1954, a six classroom school was built and opened for the Catholic children in grades K-3. Additional grades were added until 1959 to have a K-8 elementary school.
In 1966 Bishop James Casey changed parish boundaries in Hastings, and the two parishes consolidated education for grades 7-12. They reorganized again in 1978 to consolidate all the grades. St. Michael’s found it necessary to build a larger church, and the first mass at 7th & Creighton was offered on May 5, 1968. Formal dedication occurred on June 16, 1968 with Bishop Glennon Flavin. Between 1969 and 1973, the parish hall and kitchen in the lower level of the church were completed. Air conditioning was installed in 1974.
A new rectory was built in 1972 at 715 Creighton. When the Alice Payne property was obtained at 700 Creighton in 2001, the old rectory was donated to Habitat for Humanity. Ground was broken on April 17, 1996 for the Theisen Family Parish Center. The parish was the beneficiary of a trust fund from Mary, Jerome and Hugh Theisen. At the same time the parish center was being built, a new St. Michael’s elementary school was built north of the parish facilities. The new school and parish center were blessed by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz on September 28, 1997.
The pastors who have served St. Michael’s Parish in its 60 year history are: Msgr. Charles Keenan (1945- 1958), Msgr. George Schuster (1958-1960), Fr. Patrick Lyons (1960-1989), Fr. Garold Gabel (1989- 1993), Fr. David Bourek (1993-2000), and Fr. Michael Houlihan (2000-Present).
