St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church sits on Pacific Street in the heart of west Omaha, one of the largest parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Rooted in a Czech immigrant community founded in 1877, the parish today draws more than 900 school families from across the metro area and offers daily Mass, a National Blue Ribbon elementary school, and ministries that reach from cradle to grave.
A Czech Parish with a Long West Omaha Story
St. Wenceslaus was founded in 1877 by Father Vaclav Kocarnik as a Czech National parish, and the parish's annual Vaclav Parish Festival still celebrates that heritage each year. Four years ago the parish built a new church that connects to Cain Hall, which previously served as the worship space, and additional Cain Hall construction is scheduled to begin in May 2026 to expand early childhood programming.
Parish identity is shaped by six stated commitments: Christ-Centered, Committed to Excellence, Hospitable, Trustworthy, Merciful, and Generous. Each is paired with a Scripture passage that grounds parish life, and together they frame the strategic plan that Father Mike Eckley led the parish through in 2022 and 2023.
Mass, Confession, and Adoration
The Mass schedule is unusually generous for a parish of this size. Weekend Masses are offered Saturday at 5:00 PM and Sunday at 8:00, 10:00, and 12:00 noon, plus a 5:30 PM Sunday Mass. Daily Mass runs Monday through Thursday at 6:45 AM, 8:30 AM, and 5:30 PM, Friday at 6:45 and 8:30 AM, and Saturday at 8:30 AM.
Confessions are heard Monday through Thursday at 5:00 PM and Saturday at 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM. Friday confessions are normally not offered, except during Lent at 5:00 PM. Confessions are also available by appointment through the parish office.
Mass is livestreamed each weekday at 8:30 AM. The Sunday Mass is usually streamed at 5:00 PM on Saturdays, with weekend times posted to Facebook and recordings later uploaded to YouTube.
Eucharistic Adoration is part of the parish's regular rhythm, and the high school youth group, Witness Wednesdays, gathers for an Adoration Night at St. Wenceslaus on the third Wednesday of each month.
The Seven Sacraments
St. Wenceslaus celebrates all seven sacraments. Infant Baptism is offered to registered parishioners, with a required orientation on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 PM. Children over the age of seven who have not been baptized enter the Catholic Church through OCIA for Children, receiving Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil.
First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation are prepared through the parish's Sacramental Preparation program, with Confirmation celebrated each spring by the Archbishop when he visits. Baptized children prepare in seventh grade and are confirmed in eighth grade.
Couples interested in Matrimony begin with the parish's Wedding Workbook and a call to Lisa Klug, the Business Manager. An Engaged Couples Retreat is offered through the parish, and the NFP Ministry supports couples using Natural Family Planning. Anointing of the Sick is available year-round by request, and the parish also celebrates the sacrament annually at all weekend Masses.
Adults seeking full initiation enter the OCIA program (formerly RCIA), and men discerning priesthood can connect with a parish priest or with the small discernment group led by Father Tobias Letak.
A National Blue Ribbon School on the Same Campus
St. Wenceslaus Catholic School has educated students on the parish campus since 1985 and was honored in 2019 as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education. The school serves preschoolers through eighth grade and is Nebraska State Accredited, with more than 900 students traveling from Valley, Bennington, Millard, Bellevue, Papillion, Gretna, and La Vista.
The curriculum integrates Religion, Literature, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies with specialty programs in STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), Spanish, Library Media, Music, Physical Education, Art, and Computer Lab. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year the preschool and Pre-Kindergarten programs will expand to offer Monday through Friday half-day and full-day options.
Faculty includes certified classroom teachers supported by instructional paraprofessionals, two full-time intervention teachers, two full-time counselors, and a Technology Facilitator. More than 70% of teachers hold master's degrees or higher, the average teacher has 19 years of classroom experience, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Athletics include boys and girls basketball, track, volleyball, football, cross country, soccer, and trap shooting, coordinated through the parish's Athletic Committee.
Faith Formation for Children
The Children's Faith Formation program serves PreK through eighth grade on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 PM, August through May. Lessons center on the four pillars of the Church - Sacrament and Worship, Creed, Prayer, and Morality/Social Justice - and the year includes Mass, community celebrations, family Reconciliation, and Catholic prayer and traditions.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd brings the Montessori approach to children ages 3 to 6 in a specially prepared atrium. Vacation Bible School is held each June for children entering kindergarten through fifth grade, drawing on a rotating theme each year.
Julie Lukasiewicz, the Director of Faith Formation, oversees sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. OCIA for Children is also coordinated through her office.
Youth and Young Adults
The parish offers two distinct youth groups. Fireside is the middle school youth group for incoming sixth through eighth graders, meeting one Sunday a month from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in Cain Hall during the school year. Witness Wednesdays gathers high school teens from St. Wenceslaus and neighboring St. Stephen the Martyr from 8:00 to 9:30 PM, rotating between the two parishes and offering a different focus each week: Scripture Study on the first Wednesday, testimony nights on the second, Eucharistic Adoration at St. Wenceslaus on the third, and Catholic Social Teaching nights on the fourth.
High school young men are invited to a Priesthood Discernment Group led by priests from Boys Town, St. Stephen the Martyr, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Wenceslaus.
Young adult ministry serves adults in their twenties and early thirties with a women's Bible study meeting every other Thursday at 7:00 PM, discernment support, and connections to ArchO Young Adults across the archdiocese for monthly Eucharistic Adoration, sports, pickup Bible studies, and social events.
Adult Formation and Evangelization
Emily Barker, the Director of Evangelization, oversees the parish's adult formation pathway, beginning with Alpha, an interactive series on the basics of the Christian faith that includes a meal, video, and small group discussion, offered Tuesday mornings and Tuesday evenings each spring.
Becoming Catholic follows through the OCIA program, and OCIA Sponsors support catechumens through the Easter Vigil. The Welcome Weekend offers an overnight retreat experience with separate men's and women's weekends each year.
Prayer and study options include Beloved at the Well, a women's charismatic prayer group meeting Tuesdays at 1:00 PM; Centering Prayer on the second, fourth, and fifth Saturdays from 9:05 to 10:30 AM; Emmaus Table, a bimonthly women's group that reflects on the upcoming Sunday gospel; a parish Prayer Chain; and the Called & Gifted discernment process rooted in the Catherine of Siena Institute. Small groups form each Lent to help the large parish feel like home, and Live Lent Together offers a six-week archdiocesan small group track.
Outreach Ministries
The parish's outreach work spans grief, illness, hunger, and life transitions. Grief Share, a twelve-week support program, meets Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. The Road Ahead walks with those experiencing divorce. Walking With Moms in Need connects pregnant and parenting mothers with parish volunteers and resources. Helping Hands Meals delivers meals to families in crisis, and Funeral Meals are prepared by The Guild.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring Communion to Catholic patients at Lakeside Hospital. The Prayer Shawl & Quilt Ministry creates shawls and textiles accompanied by prayer for those experiencing illness or loss. Elizabeth Ministry supports women and families during the childbearing years through mentoring.
The Health Ministry, supported by a parish nurse, offers blood pressure screenings, colon cancer screening kits, CPR classes, mental health programming, and a weekly Tai Chi class for seniors. The parish also partners with the Douglas County Health Department as a Closed Point of Distribution in case of a public health emergency.
The Food Pantry / Bread Run collects non-perishables on the first Sunday of each month for the St. Vincent de Paul Pantry at 21st and Leavenworth. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Wenceslaus makes home visits, stocks the pantry, coordinates clothing and household goods drives in spring and fall, and provides transportation, odd jobs, and companionship to elderly, handicapped, and homebound neighbors. The Pro-Life Committee educates the parish on pro-life issues as part of the Archdiocesan and Nebraska Bishops' Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities.
Liturgical and Music Ministries
Olivier Coutant, the Director of Liturgy and Communications, coordinates the parish's liturgical life. Open roles include Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Sacristans, Hospitality (Greeters and Ushers), and Altar Linens volunteers. The Flower Ministry arranges flowers for weekly and special liturgies on a rotating team schedule, and the Church Technology team supports sound, video, livestream, and projection systems.
The Music Ministry, led by Madison (Madi) Koperski, includes a Children's Choir that rehearses Tuesdays at 4:30 PM and sings at a Sunday Mass from September through May, an Adult Choir that rehearses Thursdays at 7:00 PM, and a Worship Band that sings at the 5:30 PM Sunday Mass throughout the liturgical year.
Parish Groups, Committees, and Athletics
Long-standing parish organizations include American Heritage Girls, chartering Troop NE1980; Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts; Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court #2451 Mother Teresa, formed locally in 1997; The Guild, which hosts funeral meals, donut Sundays on the second Sunday of each month, and a Stephen Center dinner on the fourth Saturday; Knights of Columbus Council 10909, with more than 600 parish men; Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus; and Prime Timers, a 55-and-older group that gathers for monthly dinners, bus tours, and seasonal celebrations.
Committees supporting parish life include the Athletic Committee, Catholic Social Teaching Committee, Finance Committee, Investment Committee, Parish Pastoral Council, Vaclav Parish Festival Committee, and Vocations Committee.
Clergy, Staff, and Stewardship
The parish is served by four priests: Father Mike Eckley as Pastor, Father Tobias Letak and Father Tim Podraza as Associate Pastors, and Father Andy Sohm assigned to Hospital and Care Facilities. Six deacons assist: Mark Capoun, Bill Carter, Joe Kulus, Mike Masek, Brad Schaefer, and Patrick Simons. A full staff of directors oversees liturgy, music, evangelization, faith formation, youth and young adult ministry, pastoral ministry, development, finance, and operations.
Parish office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closing at noon from late May through late July), Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and Sunday from 7:30 AM to 1:15 PM. Online giving is available through PushPay, Mass intentions can be requested online or in the office, and a parish podcast and weekly bulletin keep the community connected between weekends.