Becoming the “Old Cathedral” in downtown, Lincoln
The Diocese of Lincoln was established by decree of Pope Leo XIII in 1887. However, there was no official Cathedral until our Church was dedicated as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1911.
Our church remained the Cathedral for the Diocese of Lincoln until 1965. Afterwards, the church became known as St. Mary Catholic Church.
Restoring the “Old Cathedral” in downtown, Lincoln
In 2021, the church building underwent an architectural assessment, helping prioritize the parts of the building that were in most need of repair. From that assessment, a 4 phase restoration plan was created.
We have completed phases 1 and 2. We will begin phase 3 this summer (June 2025).
Donate to the “Old Cathedral” in downtown, Lincoln
Thank you for donating to St. Mary! If you have questions about your donations, please contact Riley in the parish office: 402-435-2125.
Yearly contribution statements are mailed out each January for tax-deductible donations. For this reason, please be sure to include your name, address, and contact information with your donations.
Phase 1: The West Side (Completed in 2022)
West Side Ground Breaking, August 11, 2022.
Stairs have been removed. Progress is underway with sealing the foundation.
The retaining wall going in on the west side.
Interior west entrance was removed so that the west side confessionals could be expanded.
West side entrance was closed off, allowing for an expansion of the confessionals. This is why our west confessionals have stained glass windows.
Confessionals under construction.
The benches/kneelers being installed in the west confessional.
Expanded west side confessionals.
A new Mary statue was installed on the west side where the entrance used to be.
This statue is made of marble, is 6 ft tall, was made in Italy, and weights 1650 lbs.
Phase 1 Construction Goals
- Improve the west side of the church to prevent water entry around the foundation.
- Install new flashing and re-line the gutters to keep water out of the brick cavity.
- Remodel the confessionals.
- Install the statue of Our Lady and the Infant Jesus.
%
Goal: $355,000
Phase 2: HVAC and Electrical Upgrade (Completed in 2024)
Our capital campaign for phase 2 was entrusted to Mary, Mother of the Church.
Our 61 year old heating and cooling systems were failing.
The electrical systems were updated to increase capacity and electrical output.
Unfortunately, we went the entire summer of 2024 without airconditioning because of construction.
Phase 2 Construction Goals:
- Install a modern heating and air conditioning system.
- Install a transformer and a new, modern electrical panel.
- Install a modern alarm system.
School Debt Repayment:
As of 2023, the loan on our school exceeded $1.3 million. The Diocese of Lincoln has held this loan at 0% interest since the 1990s. The Diocese of Lincoln also proposed a loan forgiveness plan: they will forgive $2.50 for every $1 we pay back (this loan forgiveness remains in effect until 2028). So, 71% of the loan ($930,575) can be forgiven by the Diocese of Lincoln if we pay back $372,230.
Statistics for Phase 2’s Three-Year-Pledge Campaign:
Number of Donors
%
Remitted Pledges ($1.96million/$2.5million)
%
Suspended Pledges ($17,245)
%
School Debt Paid ($261,720/$372,230)
%
Construction Loan* Paid ($200,000/$270,000)
*The construction loan includes interest.
These numbers were updated on May 22, 2025.
