Father Edward Nemeth
Fr. Edward Nemeth, Executive Director
Fr. Edward Nemeth was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis by Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, then Archbishop of Saint Louis, on May 24, 2008.
Fr. Nemeth is the son of the late Edward and Diane Nemeth born on October 12, 1981 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Nemeth family moved to St. Louis in Fr. Nemeth’s youth and he attended Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and School in Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, a Northern suburb of St. Louis. After his freshman year at Christian Brothers College High School in Clayton, Missouri, the family moved to Ashland, Kentucky for his father’s work. During those years in Ashland, Fr. Nemeth attended Russell High School and worshiped at Holy Family Catholic Parish. Following Our Lord’s call to serve, Fr. Nemeth entered Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in the college division following graduation.
Priestly Formation & Catholic Education
Fr. Nemeth completed his priestly formation at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, earning the degrees of Master in Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology. Following ordination, Fr. Nemeth’s priesthood has been centered around the mission of Catholic education. His first assignment as parochial vicar at St. Joseph-Imperial was also paired with the role of chaplain and theology teacher at St. Pius X High School in Festus, Missouri. After prayerful discernment, Fr. Nemeth transitioned into full-time educational ministry, remaining at St. Pius X High School.
During his service, the need arose to address serious financial concerns surrounding the high school’s future. Fr. Nemeth worked diligently with Partners in Mission, a Catholic consulting firm that assists schools, parishes, and (arch)dioceses in the realm of development and advancement. Fr. Nemeth served in various capacities in the high school, including a year as President. Using the lessons learned through his work with Partners in Mission, St. Pius X High School is a thriving, authentically Catholic school with a sound financial future.
Continuing to Serve
In 2017 Archbishop Robert Carlson asked Fr. Nemeth to take his passion for Catholic advancement and serve as Pastor of Ste. Genevieve Catholic Parish in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and Sts. Philip and James Parish in River aux Vases, Missouri, and also serve as President of Valle Catholic Schools, a preK-12 school system. Facing similar financial challenges, Fr. Nemeth employed those same skills to bring the parish and school out of debt and address concerns surrounding aging facilities. During phases of Archdiocesan restructuring, in 2023 Fr. Nemeth also became the pastor or Sacred Heart Parish in Ozora, Missouri and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Weingarten.
Now the Shrine’s Executive Director
In 2024 Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke asked Fr. Nemeth to lend his gifts and talents to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, as Executive Director. His Eminence believes that Fr. Nemeth’s experience will help assist the Shrine in its latest project to construct the Saint Juan Diego Pilgrim House and prepare the Shrine to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Our Lady’s appearance to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico.