Southern Nebraska Register
St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Seward held a groundbreaking ceremony June 5, at the site of a planned expansion.
Pastor Msgr. Robert Tucker blessed the area as parish and school families watched. Members of Clark & Enersen, Cheever Construction, The Steier Group and the Diocesan Building Committee were also in attendance.
The parish – which serves more than 600 families in Seward, nearby Milford and surrounding communities – has performed more than 1,500 weddings and 3,000 baptisms. The original Catholic church in downtown Seward was built in 1878. The parish moved to its current location in 1973, and in 1993, the present church was expanded, and a social hall and classrooms were added.
Between the parish elementary school, in its 25th year, the CCD and Godparent programs, St. Vincent is currently educating more than 200 students.
The new expansion will address the three priorities identified in a feasibility study in 2024: renovation of the parish hall, classrooms, offices and narthex; the addition of dedicated classrooms and school offices; and the addition of a gymnasium and commons space. A capital campaign, “Gather and Grow,” was launched after diocesan approval in October 2024. The $5 million project will include 10,000 square feet of new construction and the completion is expected in the summer of 2027.
The expansion will allow the parish to educate up to 400 school-age students through the school, Godparent and CCD programs in the coming years.
SNR photos | Cathy Blankenau Bender
