About St. Gerald Church · Ralston, Nebraska
St. Gerald Catholic Church is a large Archdiocese-of-Omaha parish serving the city of Ralston, Nebraska (a suburb just southwest of Omaha). Founded in 1957 and centered today across two worship sites — the main church at 9602 Q Street and the historic Lakeview Chapel at 7857 Lakeview Street — St. Gerald is home to the only private school in Ralston (K-8) and runs an active family-formation, OCIA, youth, music, and outreach program under the motto of being a Eucharistic community that encounters Jesus, grows as disciples, and transforms lives.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- Saint Gerald of Aurillac (c. 855–909), French layman and count, patron of bachelors, counts and the disabled
- Rector
- Rev. Mark J. Nolte (Fr. Vincent Sunguti named to succeed him in the 2026 Archdiocese of Omaha assignments)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Gerald welcomes anyone who wants to know Jesus and grow as His disciple. The parish runs an entire K-8 Catholic school (the only private school in Ralston), a robust family-formation program that walks parents and children from kindergarten through confirmation together, a year-round OCIA (Becoming Catholic) process for adults and youth, weekly Alpha sessions, and active men's, women's and youth groups such as the Knights of Columbus, Men's Club, Kingdom Builders and DivorceCare. With daily Mass offered at both the 96th & Q church and the historic Lakeview Chapel, plus live-streamed Sunday worship, St. Gerald is large enough to offer deep programming yet remains known for its warm, friendly Midwestern welcome.
Mass times at St. Gerald Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–4:30 PM at 96th & Q (9602 Q Street)
- 15 minutes before every daily Mass
Adoration times
- Wednesday Family Formation ENCOUNTER nights begin with Eucharistic Adoration as a Family at 6:15 PM in the Lakeview Chapel
Parish History
Founded in 1957 by Father William F. Foster at the direction of Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan, St. Gerald grew from a single Mass in the Ralston Town Hall to one of the largest parishes in the Omaha area. Its story is told through the construction of the 1959 Lakeview church and school, the 1975 West Church at 96th and Q, the 1996 dedication of the current main church, and the leadership of pastors Foster, Larry Dorsey, William Fitzgerald, Gary Ostrander and Mark Nolte.
- 1957 – First Mass at Ralston Town Hall (September)
- 1958 – Ground broken for original church at 78th & Lakeview (March 6)
- 1959 – First Mass at the new church on Easter Sunday (March 29); dedication April 19; school opens September 8
- 1964 – First English Mass celebrated (November 17)
- 1965 – Fr. Foster begins facing the people at Mass
- 1975 – Construction of St. Gerald West Church begins (October 15)
- 1985 – Parish grows from 120 to ~1,400 families
- 1995 – Capital campaign and groundbreaking for new 96th & Q church (August 27)
- 1996 – Dedication of the new church
- 2007 – 50th anniversary; ~2,400 families
- 2016 – Fr. Mark Nolte becomes pastor
Clergy & Staff
St. Gerald is led by a Servant Leadership Team (SLT) of five members who meet biweekly on Thursdays and quarterly for all-day discernment: pastor Fr. Mark Nolte, Director of Evangelization & Discipleship Jenny Wiswell, parishioner Deacon Steve Luna, and parishioner Ramona Kowal.
- Rev. Mark J. Nolte — Pastor
- Rev. Carl Zoucha — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Steve Luna — parishioner
- Connie Farrell — Parish Secretary
- Colleen Jeffrey — Director of Music
- Christy Keenan — School Principal
- Sheri Kirk — Business Manager
- Lori Rice — Director of Communications
- Lea-Ann Virnig — Director of Adult Formation
- Jenny Wiswell — Director of Evangelization & Discipleship
- Teresa Zamora — Director of Faith Formation / Family Formation
- Mark Zoucha — Director of Facilities
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Family Formation K–8 gathers children and parents at the Lakeview Chapel each week with monthly required ENCOUNTER nights that begin with family Eucharistic Adoration, then split into catechist-led classes and a parent prayer/teaching. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion is centered on 2nd grade; Confirmation is a two-year process in 7th and 8th grade using Alpha Youth and Decision Point. Tuition is scaled ($150/$100/$50/$300 max) and H.O.P.E. certificates may be applied.
- Director of Family Formation: Teresa Zamora
- Monthly ENCOUNTER nights: Sep 23, Oct 21, Nov 18, Jan 20, Feb 17, Mar 17, Apr 7
- Catechist discount: 50%; class helper discount: 25%
Becoming Catholic (OCIA / RCIA)
St. Gerald's Becoming Catholic process accompanies adults and youth into full communion with the Catholic Church through the Sacraments of Initiation. Weekly meetings begin in September each year and follow the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, exploring the Bible, prayer, sacraments and Tradition. An interest form on the parish website connects inquirers with the Evangelization Team.
- Youth Becoming Catholic — for unbaptized children/teenagers and those behind on sacraments
- Adult OCIA — weekly from September
St. Gerald Catholic School
St. Gerald Catholic School (PreK through 8th grade) is the only private school in the city of Ralston. The school shares the Lakeview Street campus with the parish and Lakeview Chapel, and is staffed by a principal, school secretary, counselor, classroom teachers, specialists, resource teachers, and extended-care, food-service and facilities personnel.
- Address: 7857 Lakeview Street, Ralston, NE 68127
- Phone: (402) 331-4223
- Principal: Christy Keenan
- School Secretary: Kelly Mancuso
- School Counselor: Marlena Laney
- Music Teacher & Liturgist: VanNessa Krueger
- Extended Care Director: Reagan Redburn
- Facilities Director: Mark Zoucha
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Gerald is led by parish Director of Music Colleen Jeffrey and supported by the school Music Teacher & Liturgist VanNessa Krueger. The 1996 main church at 96th & Q includes a Choir Rehearsal Room, Blessed Sacrament Chapel and a baptistry visible from the main entrance.
Parish Ministries & Groups
Parish life at St. Gerald extends well beyond the sanctuary. In addition to faith formation, the parish supports adult faith-building (Alpha, Catholicism 101, Marriage Formation), outreach and fellowship (DivorceCare, Kingdom Builders for women, Knights of Columbus, Men's Club), and ongoing fundraising for the Father Foster Endowment through the annual Father Foster Memorial Golf Tournament and the Men's Club Golf Classic.
- Alpha
- Catholicism 101
- DivorceCare
- Kingdom Builders (women)
- Knights of Columbus
- Men's Club & Golf Classic
- Father Foster Memorial Golf Tournament
- Marriage Formation
- Teen Faith
Facilities & Campus
The parish operates two worship sites plus a school. The 1996 main church at 96th & Q Street includes the main sanctuary, Blessed Sacrament Chapel, baptistry, Family Room & Parish Library (with books and videos available for check-out), a Choir Rehearsal Room, a Multi-Purpose Room (used for meetings, child care during parish events and as a bride room) and a Fellowship Hall with kitchen and movable walls. The historic 1959 church on Lakeview Street continues in use as the Lakeview Chapel and school chapel. The Parish Center / Gymnasium, dating from the parish's early decades, still hosts social events.
Giving, Livestream & Communications
Supporters can give online via the parish website, by mail, or through Venmo (@StGerald001). The 9:30 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed weekly on the parish YouTube channel and Facebook page and archived on YouTube for later viewing. The parish also publishes the SpiritLink newsletter.
- Livestream platforms: YouTube and Facebook
- Venmo: @StGerald001 (note: Sunday Offering)
- SpiritLink parish newsletter
Diocese & Wider Church
St. Gerald is part of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is grouped with St. Columbkille Parish in Papillion as Urban Family Q. The parish has produced a number of priestly vocations, including Msgr. Tom Fucinaro (ordained 1989 for the Diocese of Lincoln), Fr. Ross Burkhalter (ordained in Omaha 1994; canon lawyer in Rome) and Fr. Michael Swanton (ordained 2005 for the Archdiocese of Omaha).
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William F. Foster1957–1989
Founding pastor; sent by Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan to start the parish; oversaw construction of the original 1959 church and the opening of St. Gerald School; died 1997.
- Rev. Larry Dorsey1989–1998
Pastor; appointed with Fr. William Fitzgerald as co-pastor by Archbishop Daniel Sheehan to study whether to keep St. Gerald as one parish.
- Rev. William Fitzgerald1989–1996
Co-pastor alongside Fr. Larry Dorsey; oversaw planning and construction of the new 96th & Q church.
- Rev. Gary Ostrander1998–c. 2016
Pastor who led the parish into its 50th anniversary and beyond; reappointed to six-year terms during his tenure.
- Rev. Mark J. NolteJuly 2016–present
Current pastor (per the parish website); reappointed to a six-year term in 2023; in 2026 released for service in the Diocese of Nashville.