Grace Episcopal Church

Built in 1884 on the corner of Second and Walnut, the Grace Protestant Episcopal Church was moved to its present location in 1891. The brick veneer was added sometime after 1922. Grace Episcopal Church is the church in which Willa Cather and her parents were confirmed on December 27, 1922. The Cather family was dedicated to this church and Willa Cather remained a loyal member until her death in 1947. On the north side are two windows given by Cather in memory of her parents. She chose The Good Shepherd for her father because she had happy memories of him as a sheep rancher back in Virginia. The walnut altar rail was given in memory of her brother, Douglas Cather. This church held a memorial service for Willa Cather following her death in 1947. A mass is offered annually at Cather Spring Conference, and also on Cather’s birthday, December 7th. The church was restored and donated by the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Educational Foundation.