About St. Joan of Arc · Omaha, Nebraska
St. Joan of Arc is a Roman Catholic parish in central Omaha, Nebraska, founded in 1958 to serve families moving into the Westgate and Westridge neighborhoods. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Omaha and, since the summer of 2020, shares a pastor, ministries, and mission with nearby St. Thomas More Parish under the joint name 'Midtown Catholic.' St. Joan of Arc offers daily and weekend Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Family Formation for children and parents, the Becoming Catholic (RCIA) process, Alpha, a youth group, and hosts the well-known annual Sausage Fest in its parking lot at 74th and Hascall.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- St. Joan of Arc
- Rector
- Rev. Frank E. Jindra
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Joan of Arc welcomes anyone looking for a neighborhood Catholic parish where faith is shared as a family. Weekday Masses (Monday through Wednesday at 8:30 am), a Saturday vigil, and a Sunday Mass are complemented by perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and Saturday confessions. Family Formation equips parents and children in kindergarten through eighth grade to grow together as disciples, while Alpha, Becoming Catholic (RCIA), a Moms Group, a youth group, Totus Tuus, and the annual Sausage Fest (held in the parish parking lot at 74th and Hascall) give parishioners many ways to belong — all under the partnership of Midtown Catholic with sister parish St. Thomas More.
Mass times at St. Joan of Arc
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 4:30–5:20 PM (also 30 minutes before Masses)
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration (12:00 AM ongoing) at St. Joan of Arc
History of St. Joan of Arc Parish
St. Joan of Arc Parish was founded in 1958 in central Omaha to serve families moving into the Westgate and Westridge neighborhoods. The parish opened an elementary school the same year under the Sisters of Mercy, which at its peak enrolled more than 300 students and became the heart of parish life for generations of 'Joaners.' Shifting demographics in the 1990s and declining enrollment in the 2010s made the school no longer sustainable; it closed at the end of the 2023–2024 school year, with Archbishop George J. Lucas celebrating a closing Mass on May 30, 2024 — the saint's feast day. Since summer 2020 the parish has partnered with St. Thomas More Parish (4804 Grover St., founded the same year) under the joint name 'Midtown Catholic,' sharing a pastor, Mass schedule, ministries, and mission about seven minutes down the road.
- Founded: 1958
- Founding mission: Westgate and Westridge neighborhood families
- School operated by Sisters of Mercy from 1958 to 2024
- School closure Mass celebrated by Archbishop Lucas, May 30, 2024
- Midtown Catholic partnership with St. Thomas More since summer 2020
Pastoral Team and Staff
St. Joan of Arc and St. Thomas More share pastoral leadership under the Midtown Catholic umbrella. The Director of Parishes coordinates operations between the two sites, and each parish has its own secretary. Lay staff also support faith formation, evangelization, communications, and accounting.
- Rev. Frank E. Jindra — Pastor
- Deacon Allan Schumacher
- Deacon Matthew F. Wolbach
- Deacon Ronald R. Ryan (and Julie Ryan)
- Deacon Timothy C. Leininger (and Ruth Leininger)
- Chad Grosse-Rhode — Director of Parishes
- Renae Vorland — SJA Parish Secretary
- Kristine Yonathan — STM Parish Secretary
- Rebecca Manno — Coordinator of Evangelization
- Jenny Keller — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Linda Boyer — Bulletin Editor
- Lindsey Sova — Accounting Coordinator
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Midtown Catholic's Family Formation program is the centerpiece of parish religious education, serving children from kindergarten through 8th grade together with their parents. The program gathers twice a month on Wednesday evenings: one night brings the whole family together for a shared lesson and activity, and the other splits children by age while parents take part in adult discussion. The program includes sacrament preparation and emphasizes parents as the first teachers of the faith. Cost is $50 per family, and the first session in 2024 ran on September 11, 2024 from 6:15–7:30 PM. Contact: Jenny Keller and Renae Vorland.
- Family Formation (K–8, parent-inclusive)
- Cost: $50 per family
- Twice-monthly Wednesday evenings
- Includes First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation
Becoming Catholic (RCIA) and Alpha
The Becoming Catholic Course — the parish's name for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) — is for those interested in entering the Catholic Church. Sessions center on the Church's beliefs, doctrines, practices, and traditions in a welcoming community and run about twice a month from September through Easter. The Alpha Course is a practical, friendly 10-week introduction to the Christian faith held weekly with a shared meal, open to anyone regardless of background or belief.
- Becoming Catholic (RCIA): twice monthly, September through Easter
- Alpha: 10 weeks, weekly with a meal
- Adult Alpha held concurrently with youth programs at the start of the year
Youth and Family
Midtown Catholic runs a Youth Group for ages 13–18 alongside the Family Formation program. Totus Tuus, the Archdiocese of Omaha's summer Catholic youth program dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, has been offered at Midtown Catholic. A Moms Group meets every other Monday from 9:00–10:30 AM at the St. Joan of Arc Office — all moms are welcome and may bring their children.
- Youth Group (ages 13–18)
- Totus Tuus summer program
- Moms Group (biweekly Mondays, 9:00–10:30 AM at SJA Office)
Catholic Schools on the SJA Campus
St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, founded in 1958 by the Sisters of Mercy, closed at the end of the 2023–2024 school year after more than 65 years. The school building now continues its educational mission as the home of the Omaha Catholic School Consortium's Dual Language Academy, a bilingual Catholic preschool and elementary program that has served the site since fall 2021 and draws students from more than 24 zip codes across the Omaha metro area. Partner parish St. Thomas More School (PS–8), founded in 1960 by the Sisters of Mercy, remains open at 3515 S. 48th Ave.
- St. Joan of Arc School (1958–2024), Sisters of Mercy, peak enrollment 300+
- Dual Language Academy (since fall 2021) — bilingual Catholic preschool and elementary
- Partner school: St. Thomas More Catholic School (PS–8, 3515 S. 48th Ave.)
Parish Events and Community Life
St. Joan of Arc's signature event is the annual Sausage Fest, held in the parish parking lot at 74th and Hascall Streets. By 2023 the festival was in its 55th year and featured Italian sausage and peppers, Polish sausage, bratwurst, hot dogs, a beer garden with margaritas, nachos, ice cream, brownies, a cake walk, raffles (often with $1,000 prize drawings), carnival games, and a DJ — running from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The festival is a major parish fundraiser organized by parishioners and supported by community sponsorships.
- Annual Sausage Fest — September, 5:00–11:00 PM
- 55th annual Sausage Fest held September 9, 2023
- Italian, Polish sausage, bratwurst, hot dogs
- Beer garden, margaritas, cake walk, raffles, carnival games
- Held in the SJA parking lot at 74th and Hascall
Outreach and Service
Midtown Catholic parishioners are active in service beyond the parish. The That Man Is You! men's fellowship meets Saturday mornings at 6:00 AM in the STM Media Cafeteria and partners with Essential Pregnancy Services (EPS) in Bellevue, helping with cleanup, painting, and facility work on the third Saturday of each month. The Knights of Columbus Fr. Clement Bracht Council No. 10184 supports the parish with pancake breakfasts, a Tootsie Roll drive benefiting people with intellectual disabilities, Red Cross blood drives, and scholarships for STM graduating seniors and catechetical programs.
- That Man Is You! — Saturday 6:00 AM, STM Media Cafeteria
- Essential Pregnancy Services (Bellevue) — third Saturday service days
- Knights of Columbus Council 10184 — pancake breakfasts, Tootsie Roll drive, blood drives, scholarships
- Support for pro-life organizations and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at STM
Sacraments and Devotions
Parishioners can prepare for and receive all the usual Catholic sacraments through St. Joan of Arc, including Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Communion (through Family Formation), Confirmation, Matrimony, and the Anointing of the Sick. Confession is offered Saturday afternoons, 30 minutes before Masses, or anytime by appointment. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is available, and parishioners are regularly invited to recommit to daily prayer through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother.
- Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick
- Confession Saturdays 4:30–5:20 PM, before Masses, or by appointment
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
- Marian consecration and prayer recommitment initiatives