About St. James · Omaha, Nebraska
St. James Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha located in northwest Omaha, Nebraska, serving approximately 1,450 families in the area around 90th and Tomahawk Boulevard. Founded in 1963 as an offspring of St. Bernard's Parish, it grew from humble beginnings — the first Masses were celebrated at Boyd Elementary School, nicknamed 'St. Boyd' by parishioners — into a thriving community that opened its own school in 1965 and dedicated a permanent new church building in 2002. Today it operates the parish school (St. James/Seton School, jointly with neighboring St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish) along with religious education, youth ministry, music, and outreach programs for all ages.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- Saint James
- Rector
- Fr. Tom Weisbecker
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. James is a welcoming, multi-generational northwest Omaha parish of about 1,450 families that lives out its mission to 'love one another as Christ has loved us' through daily and weekend Masses, a robust parish school, religious education for grades K–8, youth ministry, and music and liturgical programs. Parishioners serve the homebound and hospitalized as Eucharistic ministers, reach out through Stewardship and Social committees, support Little Flowers Girls Club, Sunday School, and a Total Board of Education, and gather monthly for welcome events. Founded in 1963 and grounded in decades of parish life, St. James offers an easy way to get involved in worship, faith formation, and service.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
- Anytime by appointment
Parish History
St. James Parish was created by Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan on June 13, 1963, carved from St. Bernard's Parish in northwest Omaha. Its founding pastor, Fr. Jerome H. Dickes, celebrated the first Masses at Boyd Elementary School on June 23, 1963, while the school, multi-purpose room, and temporary church were completed in June 1965. St. James School opened its doors that September with 500 pupils and the Servants of Mary sisters — Sr. Ruth Arnott was the first principal. A 1971 census showed 1,400 families; the parish reached 2,200 by the early 1980s, when a sister parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, was formed and the school renamed St. James/Seton. After almost forty years the 'temporary' church gave way to a permanent new building dedicated December 1, 2002 by Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss.
- 1963 — Parish created, Fr. Jerome Dickes named founding pastor
- 1963 — First Masses at Boyd Elementary ('St. Boyd')
- 1965 — School, multi-purpose room, temporary church completed
- 1965 — School opens with 500 students; Sr. Ruth Arnott OSM first principal
- 1972 — Current rectory built at 9025 Larimore Ave.
- 1981 — Sister parish St. Elizabeth Ann Seton formed; school renamed St. James/Seton
- 1987 — Fr. Dick Swolek breaks ground for 11,000-sq-ft Parish Center
- 1999 — Two-phase capital campaign begins; parish center mortgage retired
- 2001 — Ground broken for the 23,200-sq-ft church addition
- 2002 — New church dedicated by Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss (Dec. 1)
- 2012 — Fr. Tom Weisbecker appointed pastor
Tour of Our Church
The December 1, 2002 dedication of St. James' new church was the culmination of nearly forty years of waiting — a permanent worship space replacing the 1965 temporary church. The parish describes the building as a reverent environment designed to shower 'honor and glory on our Lord' while offering room for community before, during, and after Mass. The new church was part of a 23,200-square-foot, $5 million addition that also served as the centerpiece of the second phase of the capital campaign, with renovations to the former worship space into school offices, meeting rooms, a computer laboratory, and a library.
Mission Statement
St. James defines itself as 'a welcoming, and ministering community that continues the mission of Jesus Christ through worship, faith formation and service,' always guided by Christ's words: 'Love one another, as I have loved you.' The parish seeks to cultivate spiritual growth through prayer and liturgy, strengthen community through group activities, and respond to the needs of the community by sharing spiritual and material gifts.
- Cultivating spiritual growth through prayer and liturgy
- Strengthening community through group activities
- Responding to community needs through sharing of spiritual and material gifts
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. James offers Faith Formation for every age. The Parish Religious Education (P.R.E.) program serves students in public schools or homeschool in grades K-8 with one weekly session on Wednesday evenings, 6:00–7:15 pm, during the OPS school year. Sunday School welcomes children ages 3–5 during the 9:30 am Mass on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, September through mid-May. Director of Faith Formation Jo Kusek and a Total Board of Education oversee programming. Adult volunteers are needed as catechists, aides, hall monitors, parking lot attendants, and preschool teachers, with Safe Environment Training required.
- Parish Religious Education (P.R.E.) — grades K-8, Wed 6:00–7:15 pm
- Sunday School — ages 3–5, during 9:30 am Mass (1st/3rd/5th Sundays)
- St. James Little Flowers Girls Club — Pre-K and up, 4th Mondays 3:15–4:30 pm
- Director of Faith Formation: Jo Kusek ([email protected], 402-572-0369)
Youth Ministry
The parish sponsors a combined St. James/Seton youth ministry under Youth Director Jill Kreikemeier, serving middle-school and high-school youth and their families with formation, service, and fellowship opportunities.
- Youth Director: Jill Kreikemeier ([email protected], 402-660-2794)
St. James/Seton School
St. James/Seton School is the parish elementary school, jointly supported by St. James and the neighboring St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish since 1981. It opened in 1965 with 500 (some 526) pupils in grades 1–8 and was originally staffed by the Servants of Mary (OSM) sisters. The current principal is Mr. William Kelly. The school shares a campus with the parish and offers faith-centered education for the parish community.
- Opened September 1965 with 500 students in grades 1–8
- Renamed St. James/Seton in 1981 after the founding of sister parish St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
- Principal: Mr. William Kelly (wkelly@sjsomaha, 402-572-0339)
Music & Liturgy
The Liturgy/Music Coordinator, Janet Drvol, leads a robust Music Ministry that assists the community by leading the song of worship at Masses, weddings, funerals, and other liturgical services, including seasonal celebrations and feasts. Ministers must rehearse for their specific Masses and be fully prepared. The parish also maintains a Liturgy Committee that prepares the worship environment.
- Liturgy/Music Coordinator: Janet Drvol ([email protected], 402-572-0499 ext. 122)
- Music Ministry — choirs and cantors rehearse for weekend Masses and feast days
- Liturgy Committee — supported by Janet Drvol
Liturgical Ministries
St. James invites parishioners into a wide range of liturgical roles. Altar Servers begin in the second semester of 5th grade and assist at weekday/weekend Masses, Holy Days, weddings, funerals, and special liturgies. Other ministries include Lectors, Ushers, Sacristan Teams, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC), and Children's Liturgy of the Word.
- Altar Servers (5th grade and up)
- Lectors
- Ushers
- Sacristan Teams
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
Outreach & Charity
Caring for parishioners beyond the church walls is central to St. James. Four Eucharistic Minister Teams bring Communion to homebound parishioners every Sunday after the 9:30 am Mass, with each EMHC visiting two homebound parishioners once every four weeks. Immanuel Hospital also receives Communion to Catholic patients from two St. James EMHCs on the first Sunday and every Tuesday, with hospital volunteers going through background checks and hospital training. The parish's Hospital Ministry and other outreach are coordinated through Deacon Duane Karmazin.
- Communion to the Homebound — Sundays after 9:30 am Mass
- Communion to the Hospitalized — Immanuel Hospital (1st Sunday & every Tuesday)
- Hospital Ministry coordinated by the deacons
Stewardship — Growing in God's Grace
St. James operates a Growing in God's Grace stewardship initiative organized through a Core Team and six supporting teams. The initiative asks how and why parishioners pray, share their talents, and give of their financial resources — moving from giving because of need to giving because of the gift received from God.
- Core Team
- Annual Renewal Team (oversees Archbishop's Annual Appeal)
- Calling Team (twice-yearly outreach calls)
- Children's Team
- New Parishioner Team
- Parish School Team (includes 'Buddy' program for new school families)
- Prayer Team (Lenten parish mission, etc.)
Parish Life & Committees
Beyond worship and formation, St. James offers a range of councils and committees for community life. The Parish Pastoral Council is the primary planning and consulting body, working with the pastor to support committees and approve the financial budget; representatives serve three-year terms and meet monthly. The Finance Council oversees finances. The Social Committee plans Welcome Sunday (fourth Sunday of the month) and coffee-and-cake events. The Welcoming Committee hosts monthly Registration/Orientation meetings for new parishioners (alternating 10:30 am Sunday between Masses and Thursday at 7:30 pm in the Parish Center).
- Parish Pastoral Council — meets monthly
- Finance Council
- Social Committee — Welcome Sunday, hospitality events
- Welcoming Committee — Registration/Orientation meetings
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. James is shepherded by a pastor, senior associate pastor, and several deacons, supported by a dedicated team of parish office, school, faith-formation, liturgy, evangelization, youth, and accounting staff.
- Fr. Tom Weisbecker — Pastor ([email protected], 402-572-0499 ext. 114)
- Fr. Anthony Weidner — Senior Associate Pastor ([email protected], 402-572-0499 ext. 115)
- Deacon Duane Karmazin — Director of Evangelization (402-572-0499 ext. 113)
- Deacon Peter Kennedy
- Deacon Greg Drvol
- Deacon Randy Grosse
- William Kelly — Principal, St. James/Seton School (402-572-0339)
- Jo Kusek — Director of Faith Formation (402-572-0369)
- Janet Drvol — Liturgy/Music Coordinator (ext. 122)
- Jill Kreikemeier — Youth Director (402-660-2794)
- Bill Thommes — Accounting Manager (ext. 117)
- Amanda Hogberg — Parish Secretary/Social Media Coordinator
- Gina Volenec — Good News / Volunteers / Stewardship
Contact & Visit
The rectory and parish offices are at 9025 Larimore Avenue, Omaha, NE 68134-2797, open Monday–Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, phone 402-572-0499. The church address is 4710 North 90th Street, Omaha, NE. A current parish bulletin, calendar, livestream Mass, and online giving are accessible through the parish website.
- Rectory/Office: 9025 Larimore Avenue, Omaha, NE 68134-2797
- Church: 4710 North 90th Street, Omaha, NE
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
- Phone: 402-572-0499
- Bulletin, calendar, livestream, online giving — all via stjamescatholicchurch.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jerome H. Dickes1963–1976
Founding pastor, appointed June 13, 1963; arrived from Butte, Nebraska. Built the school and temporary church, served 13 years before transferring to Schuyler.
- Fr. Robert Eimers1976–1980
Succeeded Fr. Dickes; oversaw remodeling of the church interior.
- Fr. Bill Fitzgerald1980–1987
Sr. Suzanne Vandenheede OSM became third school principal during his tenure; he guided the parish through its growth to 2,200 families and the founding of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
- Fr. Dick Swolek1987–1991
Broke ground for the 11,000-sq-ft Parish Center adjoining the school.
- Fr. Kenneth Potts1991–c.1995
- Fr. Raphael Walsh1995–1996
Interim pastor.
- Fr. Tom Weisbecker2012–present
Current pastor; oversees roughly 1,450 parish families.