Fr. Thomas Schultes is pastor at Saint Mary. He was assigned to St. Mary in the summer of 2019.
He was ordained a priest in 2012. His assignments as assistant pastor were at St. Peter in Lincoln (teaching at Pius X High School) and St. Patrick and missions in McCook (teaching at St. Patrick Grade School). He served as pastor of Sacred Heart – Lawrence, St. Stephen – Lawrence, and Our Lady of Assumption – Deweese for three years before this assignment to St. Mary. Father is part of the diocese Engaged Encounter community and assists the diocesan finance office as his schedule allows.
Father grew up in Hastings, Nebraska, where he attended Hastings Catholic Schools K-12. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Accounting and Finance, along with a Masters in Accounting. He worked for four years on the audit staff of Grant Thornton LLP in Lincoln and then five years as the financial officer for a private company based in Lincoln. His seminary formation included two years at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, followed by four years at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia.
Father is the oldest of three children – his parents and siblings’ families, inclusive of 10 nieces and nephews all reside in Hastings. One of his favorite activities is simply being an uncle whenever possible. The priesthood is much like that – being an uncle to souls of all ages!
