About St. Gerald (Chapel) · Ralston, Nebraska
St. Gerald Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Ralston, Nebraska, within the Archdiocese of Omaha, that worships at two connected sites: the main church at 96th & Q (9602 Q Street) and the historic Lakeview Chapel at 7857 Lakeview Street. The parish's stated mission is to 'Encounter Jesus, Make Disciples, and Transform Lives,' and it is led by a Servant Leadership Team that helps the pastor execute that vision. St. Gerald is also home to St. Gerald School, the only private school in the city of Ralston, and runs an extensive slate of formation, outreach, and family ministries.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. Gerald of Mayo
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Nolte
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Gerald offers a rare two-site parish family in Ralston — the historic Lakeview Chapel for early-morning weekday Masses and the larger 96th & Q church for weekend liturgies and the 9:30 AM livestream — backed by a parish school that is the only private school in the city. With a deep formation lineup (Alpha, Discipleship Quads, Bible Study, Called & Gifted, Family Formation K–8, Siena Francis House service, Knights of Columbus, and a Father's Foster Memorial Golf Tournament), it gives families, young adults, teens, and empty-nesters concrete ways to grow, serve, and belong.
Mass times at St. Gerald (Chapel)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–4:30 PM at 96th & Q church
- Weekdays (Mon–Fri) 12:00–12:15 PM at 96th & Q church
- Tuesday 6:30–6:45 AM at Lakeview Chapel
- Thursday 6:30–6:45 AM at Lakeview Chapel
- Wednesday 8:00–8:15 AM at Lakeview Chapel (school session)
- Saturday 8:00–8:15 AM at Lakeview Chapel (school session)
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharist Adoration (scheduled — see parish for current times)
Parish History
St. Gerald was founded in 1957 by Father William F. Foster on the former Ralston Golf Course, with the first Mass celebrated in 1959. Explosive growth in the 1970s and 1980s — from 120 to 1,400 families — led to the 1975 construction of the original St. Gerald West Church at 96th & Q, and ultimately to the 1995 dedication of the present-day church by Archbishop Elden F. Curtiss, with architects Zenon Berringer and Mabrey Partners (ZBM).
- 1957 – Fr. William F. Foster sent to Ralston by Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan
- 1959 – First Mass on Easter Sunday, March 29; dedication April 19
- 1962 – Parish shrine and St. Gerald statue blessed
- 1975 – Original St. Gerald West Church constructed at 96th & Q (~$190,000)
- 1985 – Parish grows from 120 to 1,400 families
- 1994 – Master plan approved by Archbishop Elden Curtiss
- 1995 – Groundbreaking August 27; new church dedicated at 96th & Q
- 1997 – Fr. Foster dies; 1998 golf tournament renamed in his memory
Patron Saint — St. Gerald of Mayo
St. Gerald of Mayo was a Benedictine monk and abbot who died in 732 A.D. The parish's own history page describes him as an Englishman whose early life is largely unknown: he accompanied St. Colman to Ireland after the Celtic way of observing Easter was forbidden in Northumbria, England, and eventually became abbot of the English-speaking monastery at Mayo. His feast day is March 13.
- St. Gerald of Mayo, Benedictine monk and abbot
- Died 732 A.D.
- Feast day: March 13
Two Worship Sites: 96th & Q Church and Lakeview Chapel
The parish operates as a single worshipping community across two physical sites. The newer 96th & Q church (9602 Q Street) is the main church and the venue for all weekend Masses and the noon daily Mass, while the Lakeview Chapel (7857 Lakeview Street) preserves the original 1959 worship space and hosts the early-morning daily Masses and their associated confession windows.
- 96th & Q church — 9602 Q St, Omaha (Ralston), NE 68127
- Lakeview Chapel — 7857/7859 Lakeview St, Ralston, NE 68127
- Blessed Sacrament Chapel inside the 96th & Q church receives the original tabernacle transferred from Lakeview Chapel at the 1995 dedication
Leadership & Staff
The parish is led by its pastor through a Servant Leadership Team (SLT) that meets biweekly on Thursday afternoons and quarterly for all-day discernment meetings. A separate Pastoral Council and Finance Commission provide lay governance and stewardship oversight.
- Fr. Mark Nolte — Pastor ([email protected])
- Fr. Carl Zoucha — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Steve Luna — parishioner on the SLT
- Jenny Wiswell — Director of Evangelization & Discipleship
- Lea-Ann Virnig — Director of Adult Formation
- Teresa Zamora — Director of Faith Formation
- Colleen Jeffrey — Director of Music
- Lori Rice — Director of Communications
- Sheri Kirk — Business Manager
- Mark Zoucha — Director of Facilities
- Christy Keenan — School Principal
- Connie Farrell — Parish Secretary
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Gerald runs formation tracks for every age — children, teens, adults, and seekers. Family Formation serves K–8 students, while Teen Faith, Confirmation Catechist, and Youth Becoming Catholic (the parish's RCIA-adapted process for older youth) round out youth ministry. Adult formation includes Alpha, Called & Gifted, Bible Study, Discipleship Quads, Nazareth Groups, and Foundations.
- Family Formation K–8
- Teen Faith
- Confirmation Catechist
- Youth Becoming Catholic
- Marriage Formation
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Alpha
- Bible Study
- Called & Gifted
- Christians Encounter Christ (CEC)
- Foundations
- Discipleship Quads
- Nazareth Groups
St. Gerald School
St. Gerald School is the only private school in the city of Ralston. It serves the parish's K–6 (and historically K–8) students and shares staff with the parish: the principal reports into the parish leadership structure, and the school maintains its own Advisory Board, Home & School Association, and Learning Garden.
- Only private school in Ralston
- School phone: (402) 331-4223
- Principal: Christy Keenan
- School Advisory Board, Home & School Association, School Learning Garden
Outreach & Charity
Service and outreach are deeply woven into parish life. St. Gerald parishioners serve at Siena Francis House (Omaha's emergency shelter and food service), visit the hospitalized through Hospital Ministry, bring Communion as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and support families in need through Angel Tree and the H.O.P.E. Program.
- Siena Francis House service
- Hospital Ministry
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
- Angel Tree
- H.O.P.E. Program
- Bereavement / Grief Ministry
Community Life & Fellowship
Parish social life is anchored in the 1995 church's Fellowship Hall (with kitchen facilities and moveable walls), the original Parish Center/Gymnasium, and a calendar of events including the long-running Father Foster Memorial Golf Tournament. Men's, women's, and young-adult groups meet regularly, and the Social Committee supports parish-wide events.
- Fellowship Hall with kitchen and moveable walls
- Parish Center/Gymnasium (original gathering space)
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Gerald Men's Club
- Kingdom Builders Women's Ministry
- Arch O Young Adults
- Bridge Group
- Social Committee
- Fr. Foster Memorial Golf Tournament
Sacraments & Devotions
Reconciliation is widely available across both sites, including 15 minutes before every daily Mass and by appointment. The parish offers the Rosary before each noon daily Mass, ongoing Eucharistic Adoration, Children's Liturgy of the Word at Sunday Masses, signing for the hearing impaired, and lay support for funerals through the Adult Funeral Servers ministry.
- Reconciliation — see full schedule above
- Rosary at 11:45 AM before noon Mass
- Eucharist Adoration
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Signing for the Hearing Impaired
- Adult Funeral Servers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William F. Foster1957–1997 (founding pastor; retired c. 1989–1990)
Sent to Ralston by Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan in 1957 to found the parish and school; oversaw construction of the West Church at 96th & Q in 1975; died in 1997.
- Fr. Larry Dorsey
Appointed pastor by Archbishop Daniel Sheehan; co-led the parish with Fr. William Fitzgerald, oversaw the demographics study, and drove the planning and capital campaign for the 1995 church.
- Fr. William 'Fitz' Fitzgerald
Appointed co-pastor by Archbishop Daniel Sheehan alongside Fr. Larry Dorsey.
- Fr. Mark Noltepresent
Current pastor; chairs the Servant Leadership Team; oversees the parish's 'Encounter Jesus, Make Disciples, Transform Lives' vision.