1850 to 1900

In 1857, Pope Pius IX established the Apostolic Vicariate of Nebraska in territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Indian Territory East of the Rocky Mountains.^[5] Nebraska achieved statehood in 1867.

The first Catholic presence in the present-day diocese was that of priest providing services to workers building the original Union Pacific Railroad along the Platte River.^[6] The first Catholic Church in Grand Island, St. Mary's, was a wooden structure erected in 1868. It was blown down by a windstorm before its dedication. It was replaced nine years later.^[7] The first church in Kearney was St. James, dedicated in 1871.^[8] In North Platte, the first Catholic church, St. Patrick, was finished in 1874.^[6]

The Vicariate of Nebraska was elevated to the Diocese of Omaha by Pope Leo XIII in 1885.^[5] Northwestern Nebraska would be part of this diocese for the next 27 years.

1900 to 1945

On March 8, 1912, Pope Pius X established the Diocese of Kearney on territory taken from the Diocese of Omaha.^[9] He named Reverend James Albert Duffy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul as the first bishop of the new diocese.^[10] In 1916, the Vatican added more counties from the Diocese of Omaha to the Diocese of Kearney.^[5]

On April 11, 1917, the Vatican renamed the Diocese of Kearney as the Diocese of Grand Island;^[11][12][13] the old name was later reused as a titular see. Duffy oversaw construction of the Cathedral of St. Mary from 1926 to 1928, and also established the Nebraska Register. Duffy retired in 1931 due to poor health.^[10]

The second bishop of Grand Island was Monsignor Stanislaus Vincent Bona of the Archdiocese of Chicago. During World War II, he ministered to German and Italian prisoners of war kept in camps in the diocese.^[14] Bona was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay in 1944.

1945 to 1972

Pope Pius XII named Edward Hunkeler of the Diocese of Omaha as the next bishop of Grand Island in March 1945.^[15] In August 1945, the pope elevated the Diocese of Omaha to the Archdiocese of Omaha and named Hunkeler as its first archbishop.^[16][5] During his tenure in Grand Island, Hunkeler ordained 16 priests, and oversaw a large increase in the construction of new churches and other religious institutions in the post-World War II era.^[17] Hunkler became bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas in 1951.

To replace Hunkler, Pius XII appointed John Paschang of Omaha to serve in Grand Island.^[18] During his tenure, Paschang ordained 55 priests and established 33 churches, 15 parish houses, 13 schools, 11 parish centers, six convents, several rectories, and four hospital additions.^[19]

1972 to present

After Paschang's retirement in 1972, Pope Paul VI selected Monsignor John Joseph Sullivan of Omaha as the next bishop in Grand Island. Sullivan served there until his appointment as bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph in 1977.^[20] Paul VI replaced Sullivan in Grand Island with Lawrence James McNamara of Kansas City-St. Joseph in 1978.^[21]

When McNamara retired in 2004 after 26 years as bishop, Pope John Paul II named William Joseph Dendinger, formerly the deputy chief of the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps, as the new bishop of Grand Island. Dendinger retired in 2014.^[22]

As of 2023, the bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island is Joseph G. Hanefeldt of Omaha, named by Pope Francis in 2015.^[23]

Sex abuse

Reverend Mark Maresh from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Elm Creek was arrested in June 2006 on charges of exposing himself to a woman and her two young children. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor public indecency.^[24] Maresh was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 50 hours of community service. After receiving treatment at a church facility in Maryland, he was returned to ministry in 2008.^[25]

In January 2019, Reverend John Kakkuzhiyil was arrested for first-degree sexual assault on a woman by the Nebraska State Patrol.^[26] In November 2018, the accuser had gone to Kakkuzhiyil's house to interview him for a project. He allegedly plied her with alcohol until she passed out. When she woke up, the woman said that Kakkuzhivl was performing oral sex on her. He denied raping the woman, saying that he just felt her breasts.^[27] A jury acquitted Kakkuzhivl of all charges.^[28]

In November 2021, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson released a list of Catholic priests in Nebraska with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. Three priests from the Diocese of Grand Island appeared on the list.^[29]

Bishop of Kearney

James Albert Duffy: 1912 to 1917

Bishops of Grand Island

1. James Albert Duffy: 1917 to 1931
2. Stanislaus Vincent Bona: 1931 to 1944, appointed Coadjutor Bishop and later Bishop of Green Bay
3. Edward Joseph Hunkeler: 1945 to 1951, appointed Bishop and later Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas
4. John Linus Paschang: 1951 to 1972
5. John J. Sullivan: 1972 to 1977, appointed Bishop of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
6. Lawrence James McNamara: 1978 to 2004)
7. William Joseph Dendinger: 2004 to 2015
8. Joseph G. Hanefeldt: 2015 to present

Titular Bishops of Kearney

1. Thomas Wenski: 1997 to 2003, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami^[30]
2. Felipe de Jesús Estévez: 2003 to 2011, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami^[31]
3. Robert Deeley: 2012 to 2013, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston^[32]
4. Mario E. Dorsonville: 2015 to 2023, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington^[33]
5. Brian Nunes: incumbent-elect, auxiliary bishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles^[34]