The Past, Present and Future of
Our St. Bernadette Parish Family
In this section we briefly overview: Our Early Beginnings, Our Past Leaders, Where We Are Today, and Our Great Future.
OUR EARLY BEGINNINGS
1n 1963, Rev. Stanley Mitera was appointed pastor of St. Bernadette Parish. Since there was no building in 1963, Father Mitera was told by then Archbishop Gerald T. Bergen to purchase a home large enough to have Mass in the basement. This home was located at 42nd and Valley View Avenue. The area south and west of St. Bernadette's was described as being "quite underdeveloped" at that time. Likewise in 1963, the Altar Society and Holy Name Society were founded.
On May 8, 1966, St. Bernadette Church was dedicated. The building included a church with total seating capacity of 600 and a fifteen room school. The dominant feature of the St. Bernadette campus is a freestanding bell tower of reinforced concrete that is 65 feet tall and surmounted by an eight-foot bronze cross. Classes began in the five-day school in the Fall of 1966 with first grade.
July 23, 1967 was the date of the first Church Festival. In 1968, the CCD classes were organized with classes being held in private homes. Later, classes were moved to St. Bernadette's day school classrooms.
January 6, 1982 was a momentous day for the parish! Then pastor, Rev. Anthony Milone, was ordained a bishop of the Church. A number of parishioners, family and friends of Bishop Milone and Archdiocesan priests were present in Rome as Pope John Paul II conferred Episcopal ordination on St. Bernadette's pastor.
The 20th anniversary of the parish was celebrated in July of 1983. A collection of memorabilia from the previous 20 years was displayed with founding members of the parish serving as hosts.
On September 11, 1988, our twenty-fifth anniversary was observed with an outdoor Mass and an open house.
The altar and side areas of the church were redecorated and rededicated in 1990. The main aisles were carpeted and a new baptismal font was added in 1998. New stained glass windows depicting the Seven Sacraments were installed in November of 2011.
OUR PAST LEADERS
Pastors1963-1968 Rev. Stanley Mitera
1968-1969 Msgr. Albert Krejci
1969-1973 Rev. J. Donald Bartek
1973-1988 Bishop Anthony Milone
1988-1995 Rev. Daniel Soltys
1995-2005 Rev. Robert Preisinger
2005-2006 Rev. Steve Emmanuel (Parish Administrator)
2006-Present Rev. Al Salanitro
Assistant/Associate Pastors
1965-1966 Rev. Donald Stortz
1966-1968 Rev. Melvern Wiese
1968-1971 Rev.Daniel Soltys
1971-1974 Rev. Floyd Wessling
1974-1976 Rev. Kevin Kraft
1976-1978 Rev. Norman Hunke
1978-1980 Rev. Carl Sodoro
1980-1984 Rev. James Gaughan
1982-1984 Rev. Robert Garvey
1984-1985 Rev. Leonard Sagenbrecht
1984-1985 Rev. Saviour Mallia
1985-1988 Rev. Harold Busey
1985-1988 Msgr. Albert Krejci
1988-1990 Rev. Rodney Kneifl
1990-1991 Rev. Emmett Meyer
1991-1993 Rev. Mark Tomasiewicz
1993-1994 Rev. Michael Eckley
1994-1996 Rev. John Whalen
1996-1997 Rev. Theodore Richling
1996-2000 Rev. Roland Peschel
2000-2003 Rev. Joseph Broudou
2003-2005 Rev. Paschal Jong-A-Kiem
2005-2006 Rev. Steven Emanuel
2006-presen Rev. Alfred J. Salanitro
In Residence
1988-2010 Msgr Albert Krejci
2007-Present Bishop Anthony Milone
The Present
St. Bernadette Parish remains strongly committed to Catholic Education. Currently, the grade school has an enrollment of more than 220 children. The CCD program, staffed by a Director of Religious Education and parish volunteer teachers and aides, provide faith development for more than 100 grade school children.
We have many organizations that help in making this parish alive and with full of zeal. More about the committees can be seen on Parish Committees and Parish Outreach.
Our Future
You are our future! Join in the celebration and help us write our future together. We need everyone to build this parish into a vibrant community where we foster relationships that will never end. Stay tuned for more about our future plans!
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St. Bernadette School 7600 S. 42nd Street Omaha, NE 68147 (402) 731-3033 |