Location
808 Fourth Street
Crawford, NE 69339
308-665-1584
Mass Times
Mass Times
Saturday - 6:00 p.m. MT
1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday - 8:30 a.m. MT
2nd and 4th Sunday - 10:30 a.m. MT mass times
St. Francis of Assisi Garden
The wooden carved statue of St. Francis and the beautiful natural wood bench are a peaceful place for meditation such as praying the rosary, reading scripture or just having a conversation with our Lord.
About Us
The Catholic parish of Crawford was pitifully small in numbers in the late 1800's when the town was formed. The spiritual needs were cared for by priests from Pine Ridge, South Dakota and Chadron, Nebraska. The first priests to serve this region were the Jesuit Fathers from the Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge. They came by team and wagon and later by horse and buggy to administer to the pioneer Catholic families.
In 1887, when the priest from Chadron made regular trips to Crawford it was decided to buy one-half of an old school building and move it to the two lots that had been purchased at the corner of Fourth and Paddock Streets. The school building was converted into a small chapel, capable of accommodating about 40 worshippers. In 1891, a small residence across the street was purchased for a rectory.
The present brick church was built in 1908 and in 1920, a lot adjoining the church property was purchased and the present rectory was built.
Father Paul Moser, pastor of Crawford from 1915 to 1919, was the first priest to be the proud owner of a new automobile and he made history in Catholic circles when for the first time he said Mass in the morning in Crawford, set out for the second Mass in Harrison held at 12:00 noon and arrived back in Crawford that night, safe and sound.
In 1947, it was deemed advisable to build a parish hall for social and cultural activities. Over the years, many religious and civic events have been held at the Catholic Hall. In 1957, the brick veneer was added to the hall and in 1982, a new entrance was added to the church. This information was obtained from the Crawford Centennial book published in 1986.