Father Preisinger was pastor, educator and ecumenical director

Father Robert Preisinger, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha whose ministry included 32 years teaching Catholic theology, died Nov. 3 in Omaha. He was 83.

A visitation will be held Nov. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Heafey, Hoffman, Dworak and Cutler’s West Center Chapel in Omaha, followed by a vigil service at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be offered Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Cecilia Cathedral, with interment at Calvary Cemetery, both in Omaha.

An Omaha native, he attended the former Assumption School, Creighton Preparatory School, Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri, and North American College in Rome. He was ordained in Rome in 1963.

Father Preisinger served as assistant pastor at the former St. Ann Parish from 1964 to 1966 and Ss. Peter and Paul Parish from 1966 to 1969, and was in residence at St. Peter Parish from 1969 to 1970, all in Omaha.

In 1965, Father Preisinger began teaching theology classes at Omaha’s College of Saint Mary, and in 1970, he undertook graduate studies at Aquinas Institute in Dubuque, Iowa.

Father Presinger was briefly in residence at Assumption Parish during 1971 before becoming a full-time chaplain and director of the theology program at College of Saint Mary, where he served until 1982. He was in residence at the former Blessed Sacrament Parish in Omaha from 1976 to 1982.

He also was the archdiocese’s first ecumenical director, serving from 1968 to 1988, and created formation programs for priests.

In 1982, he became founding pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Springfield, where he served until 1995. He also was pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Bellevue from 1995 to 2005. He was briefly in residence at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Omaha while on sabbatical.

Father Preisinger served as pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Fort Calhoun from 2006 until his retirement in 2011. In retirement he served as priest/chaplain at New Cassel Retirement Center in Omaha until 2018. “It was his privilege to minster to the residents, and he enjoyed meeting many wonderful people during his time there,” said his sister, Mercy Sister Dolores Preisinger. “He was very caring and kind to those in this phase of their life journey.”

In a 2009 reflection on his priesthood, Father Preisinger wrote of his years as an educator: “I still treasure those years during which I was doing what I perhaps loved to do most in my priestly ministry … to teach, to teach about God … and Church .. and God’s Word in Scripture … about Christian moral behavior … about various religions of our world … about the relationship between theology and film.”

He loved the peace and beauty of the outdoors and enjoyed fishing and gardening, said Sister Dolores. He also enjoyed traveling, cooking and planning gatherings for family and friends.

Father Preisinger was preceded in death by parents, Frank and Florence Preisinger. He is survived by his sister, Sister of Mercy Dolores Preisinger, his brother priests, other relatives and friends. Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of Mercy Retirement Fund and the Archdiocese of Omaha Priests Retirement Fund.