The Parish of Saint Peter
St. Peter Catholic Church is dedicated to the restoration of the sacred, the active promotion of the Gospel, and fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
We are a parish of mostly English- and Spanish-speaking peoples located on the outskirts of Omaha's downtown where we are blessed to be able offer both the Gospel and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy to our neighbors in need.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is multifaceted:
to share and to pass on our Catholic faith and traditions;
to support the spiritual lives of all parishioners;
to serve those in need;
to give witness to Christ and to his Gospel;
to treat with respect and gratitude the beautiful Sacraments God has given us.
St. Peter parishioners come from all over Omaha and beyond because they are attracted to the parish's beautiful liturgies, uncompromising proclamation of the Gospel and friendly community. The parish provides catechesis for every age and much-needed relief to the poor and hungry; it is also a home for recent immigrants.
The parishioners of St. Peter Catholic Church believe the renewal of the Church will come primarily through the worthy and obedient celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the "source and summit of the Christian life" (Lumen Gentium, §11).
With sung Masses, four choirs specializing in chant, Mass parts in Latin, Masses celebrated ad orientem, altar boys, Eucharistic Exposition, the recitation of the Prayer to St. Michael after Masses, chanted Solemn Vespers on Saturdays and Sundays, and Holy Communion at the altar rail, St. Peter Catholic Church strives to celebrate the Sacred Liturgy employing everything we can of Church’s sacred tradition in the Ordinary Form of the Catholic Church.
OUR HISTORY
2023
2021
2019
In July, the Rev. Joseph G. Broudou is appointed part-time parochial vicar of St. Peter Parish.
In August, the Very Rev. Scott A. Hastings completes his residency at St. Peter Parish.
In June, the Rev. James R. de Anda completes his appointment as parochial vicar of St. Peter Parish and begins full-time work as a judge in the Chancery Tribunal.
In July, the Very Rev. Scott A. Hastings is in residence at St. Peter Parish.
2016
On September 1, the Rev. James R. de Anda is appointed part-time parochial vicar of St. Peter Parish.
2015
On April 30, the Rev. Damien J. Cook completes his last day as pastor of St. Peter Parish.
From May 1 to August 16, the Rev. Rheo C. Ofalsa is appointed temporary Parish Administrator to lead the parish between Rev. Cook's departure and the appointment of the future pastor, the Rev. John Broheimer.
From May 1 to July 26, the Rev. Oscar Perez serves as parochial vicar of St. Peter Parish.
From August 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016, the Rev. Gregory P. Carl serves as parochial vicar of St. Peter Parish.
On August 17, the Rev. John P. Broheimer is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish. The Mass of Installation is celebrated on September 13, 2015 with the Most Rev. George J. Lucas as the principal celebrant.
2013
On June 3 the St. Peter Church building is closed for six months to repair and renew its interior. During that time Masses and other Sacraments are celebrated in the Parish Hall.
2012
The Rev. Rheo C. Ofalsa is appointed parochial vicar of St. Peter Parish on July 2.
2011
St. Peter Parish celebrates the 125th Anniversary of its institution as a parish.
2010
Begun in the fall of 2009, the new roof of St. Peter Church is finished by Baker Roofing. Tiles with the same coloring and fabricated by the original manufacturer, Ludowici Roof Tile, are used to preserve the look of the building. New roofs are also put upon the convent and parish office building and garages by Hawkins Roofing Company.
On September 11, St. Peter Church hosts the Spiritual Warfare Conference at Qwest Center Omaha. Almost 8,000 people attend the event.
2009
The annual St. Peter Catholic Trivia Night is held for the first time on February 21. Featuring questions about the Catholic Faith, the event evangelizes participants while raising funds for the parish.
2008
Through the financial generosity of the parish and the service of Thomas Heenan, Noah Keller and the parish youth group and altar boys, the second floor of the Parish Hall is renovated and converted into the Upper Room Catholic Library. It is blessed and dedicated on May 3.
The Rev. S. Anthony Weidner is appointed parochial vicar of St. Peter Parish on June 19.
2007
On October 7, St. Peter Church hosts the first Blue Mass in the Archdiocese of Omaha. The Blue Mass is offered in honor of those in law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders. Traditionally the Blue Mass is held near or on September 29, the Feast of the Archangels Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
2006
St. Peter Parish begins its annual outdoor Corpus Christi Procession through the neighborhood on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 18.
2005
The St. Peter clergy, staff, and parishioners renovate the bingo hall into a multi-purpose venue. It is dedicated and renamed McMahon Hall in honor of former pastor the Rev. Aloysius J. McMahon on October 23.
The Rev. James R. de Anda is appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Peter Parish on June 16.
The Knights of Columbus erect the Pope John Paul II Council No. 13,956 at St. Peter Parish on November 11.
2004
The Rev. Damien J. Cook is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish on June 18. The Mass of Installation as Pastor is celebrated on June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.
2001
On October 14, St. Peter Church's first Mass in Spanish is celebrated.
1996
The Rev. John C. Rizzo is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1995
St. Peter Grade School closes. Enrollment had dropped to 53 students.
1993
The Rev. Aloysius J. McMahon is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1980
The original church pipe organ is repaired and the choir loft is remodeled.
1979
The Rev. Richard Ciurej is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish. The Sisters of Mercy spend their last year running the parish school.
1978
The Catholic Daughters of America erect Court Our Lady of Omaha, No. 2184, on March 30, 1978.
1976
The building that is now McMahon Hall is purchased by St. Peter Parish. During the tenure of pastor Rev. Patrick Nolan, the parish buys several properties in the immediate area.
1975
The interior of the church is remodeled. A new church roof is laid.
1973
The Rev. Patrick Nolan is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1972
The Rev. Ralph O'Donnell is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1963
Electronic chimes are purchased for the bell tower.
1959
Air-conditioning is installed in the church.
1956
Plans for a new convent building are announced.
1955
Work begins on second-floor additions to the school building.
1944
Msgr. James O'Brien is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1939
The new St. Peter School building opens. It is designed by the firm of Kimball, Steele & Sandham.
1938
The old St. Peter building is used as a school for the last time; the building will be razed soon to make room for a new, larger school building.
1931
It is reported the costs of the new church have been paid in full.
1929
St. John Berchmans Academy is renamed St. Mary High School. It is the forerunner of today's Mercy High School.
1927
Msgr. James Stenson is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1926
The new St. Peter Catholic Church is dedicated on May 9. The structure's Greco-Roman facade and its five-aisled, "no-pillar" nave are unique for the time period. The beautiful stained-glass windows are imports from Bavaria; the Carrara marble used for the altar is from Italy.
The old St. Peter building, a combination school-church, is now used exclusively as the school.
1924
Rev. McCarthy succeeds in setting aside about $100,000 for the new church, a considerable sum for the times. The 31st and Pacific site purchased in 1912 is no longer considered workable as a location, so it is decided the new St. Peter Church will be built next to the existing one.
On August 18, a ground-breaking ceremony is held for the new church. The structure is designed by the firm of John Latenser & Sons; the general contractor is Alex Beck.
1912
The Rev. J. F. McCarthy is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish. One of his goals is to build a new church to replace the "temporary" one erected in the 1880s. Rev. McCarthy and the St. Peter parishioners begin a fundraising effort that will go on for several years.
1907
The Rev. Patrick McGovern is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish. (Rev. McGovern will later become the bishop of Cheyenne, Wyoming.)
1905
The construction of St. Cecilia Cathedral begins under Bishop Richard Scannell's administration. Originally intended to be located at 28th and Leavenworth, the cathedral is instead situated further west at its current North 40th Street address.
1904
The Sisters of Mercy purchase a five-story school building located where the north parking lot is now situated. The school is renamed St. John Berchmans Academy. The Sisters of Mercy run this independent school while still overseeing St. Peter School.
1903
The Rev. Peter McLaughlin is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1900
Msgr. James Aherne becomes pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1897
The Rev. John English is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1895
St. Peter School is turned over to the care of the Sisters of Mercy.
1893
The Rev. Thomas Walsh is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1891
The Rev. Thomas Conway is appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish.
1890
After an illness of only five days, Rev. P. J. Boyle died of a heart condition on April 14 at the age of thirty-two and was buried in the town of his birth. The Rev. William St. Lawrence is appointed parish administrator until January 1, 1891.
1887
The first St. Peter building — with a church on the second floor and a school on the first — is dedicated at 28th and Leavenworth. This combination church and school did service until 1926 when the construction of the present church enabled the school to utilize the upper story as well.
In its first year of operation, St. Peter School has an enrollment of 172 students under the tutelage of the Religious of the Sacred Heart.
1886
The attractive area of 28th and Leavenworth is selected as the future location of Omaha's new cathedral; however, it is decided that a temporary school and church will use this site until the cathedral project is fully funded. The Rev. P. J. Boyle is transferred to St. Peter to organize the parish on June 10. St. Peter Parish is formally erected and Rev. Boyle becomes her first pastor.
1885
The Diocese of Omaha is officially founded on August 2, 1885, under Bishop James O'Connor.
CLERGY
Rev. John P. Broheimer, Pastor
Father John Broheimer (pronounced “Bro-high-myrrh”) was appointed as the pastor of Saint Peter Parish on August 17, 2015. Archbishop George J. Lucas celebrated Holy Mass for the Installation of Father Broheimer as Pastor of Saint Peter Parish on Sunday, September 13, 2015. Father Broheimer was born in Alaska, and soon after he moved to Fremont, Nebraska where he attended Archbishop Bergan High School and graduated in 1992. He went to UNO where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1997. He served at Saint Rose Parish as its Music Director before beginning his studies for the priesthood for the Omaha Archdiocese as a Pre-Theology student at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri in the fall term of 1998.
Father Broheimer graduated from Kenrick Seminary with a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts with a focus on Sacramental and Liturgical Theology. Father Broheimer was ordained a Priest of Jesus Christ by Archbishop Elden F. Curtiss on June 7, 2003. He was first assigned to Mary Our Queen as a parochial vicar and then as parochial vicar at Saint Cecilia Cathedral. He was assigned as pastor of both Saint Francis of Assisi in Neligh, NE and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tilden, NE in 2009 with teaching duties at Pope John XXIII Central Catholic High School. Since 2009 he has also served as the spiritual Director of the Our Lady of the Rosary Curia of the Legion of Mary of the Archdiocese of Omaha and Western Iowa.
Deacon John Zak
Deacon John Zak and his wife, Mary, are the parents to 13 children and became members of St. Peter Church in 1988. He was ordained to the Permanent Deaconate in the Archdiocese of Omaha on November 1, 1998.
In addition to liturgical service at St. Peter Church, Deacon Zak is the director of the parish youth group and a catechist in the parish catechism program.
Deacon Zak also works at CHI Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, IA, as the team lead in respiratory therapy. He obtained a degree in respiratory therapy from the College of St. Mary in Omaha, NE, in 1978.
Deacon Gregorio Elizalde
Deacon Gregorio Elizalde was born in Mexico and has been married to his wife Felicia since 1998. They are the parents of two girls, Diana and Anna. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of Omaha on May 2, 2015. In the same year of his ordination he was hired by the Archdiocese of Omaha as Manager of the Latino Ministry Office.
SEMINARIAN
Mr. Brian T. Hula
Mr. Brian Hula is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Catherine Hula. He is studying at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, 5200 Glennon Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63119