A Century on the Corner of 65th and Maple
For more than a hundred years, St. Bernard Catholic Community has anchored the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, gathering families at 3601 North 65th Street for Mass, religious education, school, and the steady rhythms of parish life. The mission is: "Making Christ Present in all we say and do," carried out by serving others, growing in knowledge, and preparing for the future. Its longer vision gathers the same conviction into a single line: "One Church, Encountering Jesus, Equipping Disciples, Living Mercy."
Mass in English, and in French on the Fourth Sunday
St. Bernard's Mass schedule is built around the weekend, with weekday Masses filling out the rest of the week.
- Saturday vigil at 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday at 7:30 a.m. (without music), 9:00 a.m., and 10:30 a.m.
- Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 a.m.
A French-language Mass is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of each month at 12:30 p.m., reflecting the parish's growing French-speaking and broader African Catholic community. Confessions are heard on Wednesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. and Saturday afternoons at 3:30 p.m., and any time by appointment through the rectory.
A Pastor from Minna, Serving Benson
The parish is led by Rev. Michael Gadache, a diocesan priest from the Diocese of Minna in central Nigeria who came to the United States in 2019 as a missionary in response to a request from his bishop. After serving at St. Pius X, he was assigned as pastor of St. Bernard beginning in July 2023, with a dual assignment as chaplain to Omaha's African Catholic community groups, Our Lady of Africa and St. Michael, who are making St. Bernard their home base.
Three permanent deacons assist him: Paul Dreismeier, Tim McNeil, and Charles Sheik. Deacon Sheik has led RCIA at St. Bernard for eight years, walking many adults into the Catholic Church each Easter. Anne McGuire serves as liturgist, and Ryan Weathers directs the parish's music ministry. Rose Flores, who has been the parish's business manager since 2013 and also serves as director of development, oversees the church, school, cafeteria, and child care operations together.
A School That Teaches the Whole Person
St. Bernard Catholic School shares the campus and has long been a draw for parish families. The school offers Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Computer Literacy, and STEAM, and gives students ways to grow beyond the classroom through spelling and geography bees, a science fair, math competition, speech competition, play acting, large audience performances, a talent show, band, essay contests, and local area competitions. Service projects are woven into the year as well.
The school's philosophy is built on the "whole person" approach, helping children adopt the values that flow from the teachings of Jesus Christ as taught by the Catholic Church. Parents are welcomed into the school community, and families are invited to attend liturgies with their children on the days their class is scheduled to attend Mass as a school community.
Adjacent to the school, St. Bernard Child Care provides daily care for young children, sharing the same campus and extending the parish's reach to families with preschoolers.
Religious Education, Youth, and OCIA
For students in first through eighth grade who attend non-Catholic schools, St. Bernard offers religious education classes on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the school, running from September through April. The program is free to parishioners and prospective parishioners, with families supplying a small list of materials.
Middle and high school students are invited into the youth group, which fills the year with a Worlds of Fun trip, pool parties, movie nights, community service, and other monthly events. In summer, Totus Tuus brings a team of four college students and seminarians to the parish for a week of catechesis, with a daytime program for children entering grades 1 through 6 and a Sunday-through-Thursday evening program for students entering grades 7 through 12.
Adults interested in becoming Catholic, or simply in deepening their faith, are welcomed into OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), which meets weekly from September through April and concludes during Holy Saturday services, when participants receive the sacraments.
Councils, Committees, and Quiet Service
The life of the parish runs through a long list of councils and groups. The Parish Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month and includes representatives from the French-speaking and Ivorian communities alongside the pastor and other members. A separate Leadership Team, Liturgy Committee, Altar Guild, Welcoming Committee, Funeral Committee, Flowers Committee, Church Cleaners, Bible Study, Finance Committee, Stewardship Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, School Board, Home and School Association, Athletic Club, and Room Parents each keep a particular piece of the parish running.
The Knights of Columbus council welcomes Catholic men eighteen and older. A men's group gathers on Saturday mornings from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. for faith sharing and formation. Several choirs, including a regular weekly choir, the Glory Bound Choir, and the Senior Choir, provide music for the weekend liturgies.
Altar servers in grades 5 through 12 are trained for weekday and weekend Masses, as well as school liturgies, weddings, funerals, graduations, and sacramental celebrations.
St. Vincent de Paul and the Wider Neighborhood
The St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Bernard is a local conference of the worldwide Catholic lay organization dedicated to bringing social justice and the friendship of charity to neighbors in need. Volunteers interview those seeking help, stock supplies, take calls, and make referrals, all within the parish's street boundaries. The society is funded entirely by donations from parishioners and local businesses.
Parishioners also serve dinner at the Siena Francis House on the first Friday of every month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., reaching beyond Benson to neighbors experiencing homelessness.
The Parish Library and the Heart of the Parish
A parish library offers religious, educational, inspirational, and support materials in print, audio, and visual formats, with resources for lifelong Catholic education and support for parish staff, committees, and groups. Volunteers staff the library, returning materials after weekend Masses and processing donations.
Much of the parish's storytelling happens through a newsletter called Heart of the Parish, edited and written by long-time parishioner Mary T. Mick, who has been a member of St. Bernard for over fifty years. Its pages introduce the people behind the ministries: deacons, society members, longtime volunteers, and the parish and school staff who keep the place running.
Giving, Fundraising, and Alumni
Online giving is available. Rose Flores, as director of development, oversees annual fundraising initiatives including the Dinner Auction, which raises money for school tuition assistance. The parish's Office of Alumni and Development maintains connections with former students and families, supports planned giving, and helps steward the parish's broader fundraising efforts.
Visiting and Getting in Touch
The rectory can be reached at 402-551-0269. The school is at 402-553-4993, and day care at 402-556-4161. Email reaches the parish office at info@stbernardomaha.org. Parish registration forms are available from the parish office, and a volunteer form collects names, contact details, and areas of interest for those looking to get involved.
Worship at St. Bernard takes the shape of a Roman Catholic parish rooted in the Archdiocese of Omaha, with daily Mass, a French-language Mass on the fourth Sunday, the sacraments of confession, a parish school and child care on the same grounds, and a wide network of councils, committees, and ministries ready to welcome new members into its long Benson tradition.