News

Assignments for rural and urban priests, retirements and new deacons

All appointments effective July 1 unless otherwise noted.

Click here to see a map of new assignments

Deacon Timothy McNeil: 'Parting is such sweet sorrow' when priests change parishes

OUTSIDE OMAHA

HOLT AND BOYD COUNTIES

Father Bernard Starman, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in O’Neill and St. Joseph Mission in Amelia, takes on additional duties as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Boyd County, St. Boniface Parish in Stuart and St. Joseph Parish in Atkinson.

Father James Weeder, pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Stuart and St. Joseph Parish in Atkinson, to associate pastor of those parishes as well as of St. Patrick Parish in O’Neill, St. Joseph Mission in Amelia and Sacred Heart Parish in Boyd County. 

Father Joseph Sund, associate pastor of St. Patrick Parish in O’Neill and St. Joseph Mission in Amelia, takes on additional duties as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Boyd County, St. Boniface Parish in Stuart, and St. Joseph Parish in Atkinson.

CEDAR, KNOX AND PIERCE COUNTIES

Father Kizito Okhuoya, pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Verdigre and St. William Mission in Niobrara, takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Bloomfield. 

Father James Keiter, pastor of All Saints Parish in Cedar County, takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Crofton and Holy Family Parish in Cedar County.

Father An Duy Phan, pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Dodge and Sacred Heart Mission in Olean, to associate pastor of All Saints Parish in Cedar County, St. Rose of Lima Parish in Crofton and Holy Family Parish in Cedar County. 

Father Owen Korte, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Hartington, takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Michael Parish in Coleridge.

Father Jeremy Hans, pastor of St. Ludger Parish in Creighton and St. Ignatius Mission in Brunswick, takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Paul Parish in Plainview. 

Father Timothy Forgét, pastor of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish in Randolph, and St. Mary of the Seven Dolors Parish in Osmond, takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Pierce.

WAYNE AREA

Father Gerald Connealy, pastor of St. Peter Parish in Stanton and half-time chaplain at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, to pastor of St. Mary Parish in Laurel and St. Anne Mission in Dixon, as well as associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Wayne. 

Father Jeffrey Mollner, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Wayne, takes on additional duties as associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Laurel and St. Anne Mission in Dixon.

ELGIN AREA

Father John Norman, pastor of St. Peter de Alcántara Parish in Ewing, St. Theresa Parish in Clearwater and St. John the Baptist Parish in Deloit Township, takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Elgin, St. Bonaventure Parish in Raeville and St. John the Baptist Parish in Petersburg, with duties as president of Pope John XXIII Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in Elgin. 

Father Kevin Vogel, pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Elgin and St. Bonaventure Parish in Raeville, to associate pastor of those parishes, with additional duties as associate pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Petersburg, St. Peter de Alcántara Parish in Ewing, St. Theresa Parish in Clearwater and St. John the Baptist Parish in Deloit Township. Father Vogel concludes his service as president of Pope John XXIII Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School but continues his teaching and pastoral duties there.

NORFOLK AREA

Father Patrick McLaughlin, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Humphrey, to pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk, St. Leonard Parish in Madison and St. Peter Parish in Stanton. 

Father Gregory Carl, pastor of St. Leonard Parish in Madison, to associate pastor there with additional duties as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk and St. Peter Parish in Stanton. 

Father Scott Schilmoeller, associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk, takes on additional duties as associate pastor of St. Leonard Parish in Madison and St. Peter Parish in Stanton. 

WEST POINT AREA

Father Matthew Niggemeyer, chaplain at Roncalli Catholic High School and associate pastor of Holy Name Parish, both in Omaha, to associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in West Point, St. Boniface Parish in Monterey Township, St. Anthony Parish in St. Charles Township and St. Aloysius Parish in Aloys.

Father Douglas Scheinost, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Boyd County, to residential chaplain, St. Joseph Elder Services in West Point, effective Aug. 1.

BOONE COUNTY

Father Mark Tomasiewicz, pastor of St. Michael Parish in Albion, concludes his service as pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Petersburg and takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Cedar Rapids. 

NORTHERN PLATTE COUNTY

Father Eric Olsen, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Cedar County, to pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Humphrey, Holy Family Parish in Lindsay, St. Mary Parish in Leigh and St. Michael Parish in Tarnov. 

Father Wayne Pavela, teacher, counselor and chaplain at St. Francis High School in Humphrey and Holy Family High School in Lindsay, takes on additional duties as associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Humphrey, Holy Family Parish in Lindsay, St. Mary Parish in Leigh and St. Michael Parish in Tarnov.

HIGHWAY 91 CORRIDOR

Father Rodney Kneifl, pastor of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Clarkson, concludes his service as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Leigh, and takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Dodge and Sacred Heart Mission in Olean. 

FREMONT AREA

Father Walter Nolte, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Fremont, takes on additional duties as pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Scribner and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Hooper. 

Father Nicholas Mishek, associate pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Fremont, takes on additional duties as associate pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Scribner and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Hooper.

Father William Cremers, newly ordained, to associate pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Fremont, St. Lawrence Parish in Scribner and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Hooper.

SOUTHERN PLATTE COUNTY

Father Walter Jong-A-Kiem, pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in Duncan, and St. Joseph Parish in Platte Center, concludes his service as pastor of St. Michael Parish in Tarnov and takes on additional duties as associate pastor of St. Isidore Parish and St. Bonaventure Parish, both in Columbus.

OMAHA AREA

PASTORS

Father Daniel Andrews, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk, to pastor and director of the St. John Paul II Newman Center in Omaha.

Father Frank Baumert, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Omaha, to pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Omaha. 

Father Gregory Baxter, pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Omaha, to pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Gretna, effective Oct. 1. 

Father Ryan Lewis, chaplain at Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School in Bellevue and in residence at Holy Ghost Parish in Omaha, to pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Omaha. 

Father Marc Lim, pastor of St. Paul Parish in Plainview and St. Joseph Parish in Pierce, to pastor of Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha.

Father Ralph O’Donnell, executive director, Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C., to pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Omaha, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

ADMINISTRATOR

Father Damien Wee, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Scribner and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Hooper, to administrator of St. Francis Borgia Parish in Blair, effective May 20.

ASSOCIATE PASTORS

Father Matthew Capadano, chaplain at Scotus Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in Columbus with Sunday parochial duties at St. Isidore and St. Bonaventure parishes in Columbus, to associate pastor of Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha.

Father Augustine Gama, associate pastor of Mary Our Queen Parish to associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, both in Omaha.

Father Matthew Gutowski, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Gretna, to senior associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Bellevue, effective Oct. 1. 

Father Timothy Podraza, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Crofton and St. Andrew Parish in Bloomfield, to senior associate pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Omaha. 

RETIREMENTS

Father Jerome Dillon, senior associate pastor of St. Leo the Great Parish in Omaha. 

Father Robert English, pastor of Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha. 

Father Norman Hunke, pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Omaha. 

Father Roger Kalscheuer, senior associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Bellevue, effective March 1. 

Father David Liewer, pastor of St. Michael Parish in Coleridge, St. Mary Parish in Laurel and St. Anne Mission in Dixon.

Father James Novotny, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Lindsay. 

Father Carl Sodoro, chaplain at CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan Mercy in Omaha.

Msgr. Ralph Steffensmeier, pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Cedar Rapids.

Father Ronald Wasikowski, senior associate pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Omaha.

DEACONS (newly ordained)

Deacon Patrick Benson to St. Michael Parish, Central City

Deacon Charles Botdorf to St. Stephen the Martyr Parish, Omaha

Deacon Robert Kellar to St. Columbkille Parish, Papillion

Deacon Peter Kennedy to St. James Parish, Omaha

Deacon Gary Krupa to St. Bernadette Parish, Bellevue

Deacon Randy Landenberger to St. Leo the Great Parish, Omaha

Deacon Thomas Manhart to St. John the Evangelist Parish, Valley

Deacon Tracy Ortgies to St. Columbkille Parish, Papillion

Deacon Kelly Schrant to St. Isidore Parish, Columbus

Deacon Jay Wingler to St. Patrick Parish, Elkhorn

OTHER CHANGES

Father Jake Anderson, administrator of St. John Paul II Parish and Newman Center, concludes his service in the Archdiocese of Omaha and returns to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Father James Netusil, pastor, St. Francis Borgia Parish in Blair, has resigned as pastor and been granted a personal, voluntary leave of absence from public ministry, effective June 9.

 

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