Our History

2022

St. Joseph is celebrating 135 Years and 30 Years of Spanish Services.

2020.

On Jul 1, Rev. Rafael Majano is appointed pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish.

2012

125th anniversary of St. Joseph Parish.

2007

Fr. William Bond, assigned to just St. Joseph's only.

• One of the largest Hispanic communities in the city.

2002

Fr. Anthony Espinoza pastor of both parishes until 2007.

1997

Fr. Wally Wancewicz pastor of both ICC and St. Joseph's, with residence at ICC.

• Sr. Beatrice and Ana Milan hired as Coordinators of Hispanic Ministry/Religious Ed.

• Free-standing bell tower constructed and dedicated in 1999.

• Fr. Wally resigned from the parish and priesthood in 2002.

1995

Fr. Jack McCaslin, pastor of ICC, also assumes pastorate of St. Joseph.

• Continues and promotes the Spanish mass.

• Fr. Walter Wancewicz, his assistant, lives at St. Joseph & serves as chaplain at Gross High.

1992

• Father Joseph Hanefelt (later Bishop of Grand Island) named pastor.

• St. Joseph School and Paul VI school sold to Bellevue Christian.

• Church begins Spanish masses stressing the need to serve the ENTIRE Church.

1988

Fr. James Kenny named pastor. First Archdiocesan pastor since Fr. John Jungels in 1894.

• Creation of All Saints School, 6 parishes with two sites: ICC and St. Francis Cabrini-in 1995, only the Cabrini site would be in use.

1985

St. Joseph designated a National Historic Landmark.

• $90,441 church renovation by Frank McGill's Church Interior Designs Company.

• Interior repainted and re-carpeted, pews, altars, and woodwork refinished, Stations of the Cross re-stretched, cleaned and touch up with gold leaf.

• Life-size exterior St. Joseph statue dedicated; donated by the Sisters of St. Francis when the old St. Joseph's Hospital on 10th and Martha closed.

• June 1985, Fr. Russ Monzu, O.F.M. became last Franciscan priest to serve St. Joseph.

1983

Paul VI high school closes and merges with Ryan High-School, is renamed St. Joseph's and would meet at the Ryan site on 60th and L.

1982

Final nine 8th grade graduates from St. Joseph School. Merge the next year with ICC and a school bus purchased to transport St. Joseph children to ICC.

• Death of longtime assistant and St. Joseph native son, Fr. Wendelin Kleine, O.F.M. -The chapel or "Kleine Kirche (Small church) was named after him.

• Fr. Clarence Korgie, O.F.M. assigned as pastor-moved his residence to ICC as Franciscan rule requires community living.

• Lay person and later Archdiocesan priest, Fr. John Pietramale, would live in the rectory.

1979

Only two Precious Blood Sisters at the school-their residence moved to a rented duplex on 14th & Martha-TEC or Teens Encounter Christ leases the convent for retreat weekends.

1970

St. Joseph and Immaculate Conception Schools vote to remain independent while St.Frances Cabrini and St. Patrick's merge to form Catholic Southeast.

1968

New 8-classroom grade-school designed by James E. Loftus built and old St. Joseph school remodeled for high school. High school taken over by the Archdiocese & renamed Paul VI.

1962

Fr. Thomas Brown, O.F.M., head of Quincy College Art Department paints blue & gold star mural behind high altar; a reproduction in paint of mosaics from the Cathedral in Ravenna, Italy.

1957

Fr. Daniel Pfeilshifter, O.F.M., Assigned as pastor and would serve for 22 years.

• capital improvements and $54,000 remodel starting in 1960 for 75th anniversary of St. Joseph (1962): including PA system for church, addition of current metal doors and black tile artwork above them.

• Rose window replaced with current St Joseph rose window.

1952

Fr. Bertin Nightingale, O.F.M. ordered removal of belfry do to leaks in choir loft area and onto the organ.

1937

St. Joseph school expanded to 4-year high school-First graduates 1939.

1924

Fr. Timonthy Magnien, O.F.M. named pastor-began building campaign for new $135,000 school dedicated in 1928.
Architect: Jacob Nachtigall.

1920

High altar designed by Brother Darscheid commissioned. Cost: $4,700.

1914-1916

New church designed by Brother Leonard Darscheid, O.F.M, who had studied under and succeeded Brother Wewer as Provincial Architect.

• Assisted by local architect and parishioner, Jacob Nachtigall.

• $40,000 Romanesque Revival church built on foundation of the basement church.

• Church dedicated on October 22,1916.

1900

Fr. Pacificus Kohnen, O.F.M. named pastor and initiates building campaign.

• New School and convent built in 1901 and school addition in 1909.

1896

New Basement Church on 17th and Center designed by Provincial architect, Brother Adrian Wewer.O.F.M.

• Church cost $8,000 and was paid for by the parish. The attached Friary cost $10,000 and was paid for by other communities in the Province.

1895

Fr. Mauritius Baukholt, O.F.M. named pastor-Franciscans rule requires community living, so another priest, Fr. Ladislaus Czech and two Franciscan brothers assigned.

1894

Fr. William Jungels pastor for only one year and suggested Bishop Scannell turn the parish over to the Franciscans.

1892

Bishop Scannell ready for the deed to be signed over to the Diocese and St. Joseph's incorporated.

• Fr. Breitkopf embroiled in conflict where trustees refused to sign the deed over to the Bishop-they wanted the word "German" inserted in the name of the church, thereby identifying it as a German National parish.

• the end result: Fr. Breitkopf is transferred to Atkinson, NE.

1888

Fr. Charles Breitkopf appointed assistant to St. Mary Magdalene; he was a Silesian Pole fluent in seven languages and was made pastor of St Joseph in 1890.

1887

The church and school were founded and dedicated on September 11, 1887.

• St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was founded “to serve Omaha’s German-speaking Catholics”. The complex included a church and friary.

1886

Construction of the first church, a wood frame structure, with the church above and school below.

• St. Joseph still just a mission of St. Mary Magdalene.

• 90 students in the school taught by 3 Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, O'Fallon, MO.

1884

Fr. Glauber purchases land at 17th & Center for new church for $10.000.

• Bishop O'Connor did not want to take the title until the property was paid for and thus the deeds were first made out to Fr. Glauber as sole trustee. Later, two additional lay trustees added, Jacob Burkhard and John Schmitz.

• John Creighton donated $1,000 for the church and Mrs. Creighton pledged money for the interior (altar, rail, pews), approximately $2,000.

1881

Fr. George Glauber named pastor of St. Mary Magdalene.

1868

Fr. Otto Groenebaum establishes St. Mary Magdalene Church. the first German national parish in Omaha -the population soon outgrows the church & Germans and Poles are settling on the southside.

Salvaged Books/Documents about St. Joseph’s History: