About St. John Vianney · Omaha, Nebraska
St. John Vianney Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha located in the Millard area of southwest Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1974, the parish grew from a congregation that first worshipped in the gymnasium of Mari Sandoz Elementary School into a thriving Catholic community serving families in the Oak Hills neighborhood. Today St. John Vianney is partnered with neighboring Mary Our Queen Parish under a shared pastoral team, and its members partner with Mary Our Queen School (PK–8) for Catholic education. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, Reconciliation, faith formation for children and teens, and a wide array of outreach and fellowship ministries.
- Established
- 1974
- Patron
- St. John Vianney (Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney, the Curé d'Ars)
- Rector
- Father Marc Lim (Pastor of Mary Our Queen Parish; St. John Vianney shares pastoral leadership with Mary Our Queen as part of the Mary Our Queen / St. John Vianney Parish Family)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. John Vianney is a welcoming Catholic family in southwest Omaha where members truly know one another — through Mass, a monthly parish breakfast, a Lenten Fish Fry, summer Picnic in the Parking Lot, and a packed calendar of ministries for every age. The parish offers robust faith formation for children and teens (Religious Education K–8, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Teen Life Ministry, Vacation Bible School, and Totus Tuus), shares pastoral staff with neighboring Mary Our Queen School, and lives out the Gospel through Stephen Center meals, the Dorothy Day food pantry, Knights of Columbus service, and a sister-parish relationship with Ligera in Tanzania and outreach to the Flower of Hope School in Haiti.
Mass times at St. John Vianney
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
- Anytime by appointment — call 402-895-0808
About St. John Vianney Parish
St. John Vianney Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha serving the Millard / Oak Hills area of southwest Omaha. The parish invites visitors to 'take a few minutes to look around' its website for Mass times, bulletins, calendars, ministries, and contact information — and then to come experience the parish family in person at Mass, a monthly breakfast, a Lenten Fish Fry, or any of its many gatherings. The parish mission statement commits it to celebrating the one triune God through 'the cycle of Proclamation, Community, Service, and Worship,' and to forming 'Making Missionary Disciples of Jesus' in the parish, the local community, the archdiocese, and beyond.
History: Birth of a Parish
St. John Vianney was founded in 1974 as a daughter parish of Mary Our Queen, carved out to serve Catholics in the rapidly growing Oak Hills area of southwest Omaha. The Archdiocese had purchased seven acres in 1966 with the stipulation that a building begin by 1976 or the land would revert to its seller. Father Paul J. Schwaab, then Pastor of St. Joseph's in Ponca, was appointed founding pastor and celebrated the first Masses on June 15–16, 1974 in the gymnasium of Mari Sandoz Elementary School, with a kindergarten-table altar and borrowed tabernacle, vessels, vestments and linens.
- 1966: Archdiocese of Omaha purchases seven acres in Oak Hills for $24,000
- 1972–73: Telephone survey of Catholics in the southern portion of Mary Our Queen Parish
- Spring 1974: Father Paul J. Schwaab appointed founding pastor by Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan
- June 15–16, 1974: First Masses in the gymnasium of Mari Sandoz Elementary School
- June 18, 1974: First parish meeting — about 500 people at Mary Our Queen Social Hall
- Christmas 1976: First Eucharistic Rite celebrated in the parish's own building
- 1977: Social Hall on lower level completed
- 1979: Moved into the new house / offices
- 2012: Major building and renovation project completed
- 2024: 50th anniversary marked by commission of three 4' x 10' icon panels
The Icon Project (50th Anniversary)
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the parish in 2024, parishioners commissioned three large 4' x 10' panels mounted on the back wall of the worship area, opposite the olive-wood crucifix wall. The icon project doubled as a fundraiser, with donor and memorial names attached to the backs of the panels and featured on the electronic donor screen in the narthex, helping retire remaining debt from the major building/renovation completed in 2012.
Patron Saint: St. John Vianney, Curé d'Ars
The parish is named for St. John Vianney (Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney, 1786–1859), the French 'Curé d'Ars' who is the patron saint of parish priests. Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and given his feast day on August 4 (moved from August 8 by the 1969 calendar revision), Vianney was chosen by the Archbishop at the parish's founding as a model for the new community — 'the little peasant parish priest not of great intellectual renown, but with such great depth of Faith and Spirituality.' The parish celebrates its Feast Day weekend annually around August 9 with Mass, a Eucharistic Procession, and a complimentary lunch.
- St. John Vianney — born May 8, 1786 in Dardilly, France
- Died August 4, 1859 in Ars-sur-Formans
- Canonized May 31, 1925 by Pope Pius XI
- Declared patron of parish priests in 1929
- Feast day: August 4
Clergy and Staff
St. John Vianney shares its pastoral leadership with neighboring Mary Our Queen Parish as the Mary Our Queen / St. John Vianney Parish Family. Father Marc Lim serves as Pastor and Father Steven Boes as Senior Associate Pastor. The parish is also served by Deacon Chris Hanson. Lay staff include Leia Vranes (Director of Religious Education / Faith Formation), a Receptionist/Parish Office Support, Religious Education Secretary, Communications Director, Pastoral Minister, Facilities & Maintenance, and Finance staff.
- Father Marc Lim — Pastor (ordained June 2, 2007 by Archbishop Elden Curtiss; native of Singapore; former engineer; previously Associate Pastor at St. Robert Bellarmine, Mary Our Queen, and St. Wenceslaus Parishes, and Pastor of St. Joseph in Pierce and St. Paul in Plainview)
- Father Steven Boes — Senior Associate Pastor (ordained June 1, 1985; formerly Pastor of St. Patrick's Battle Creek; 8 years with St. Augustine Indian Mission parishes on the Winnebago and Omaha Reservations; 18 years as President of Boys Town)
- Deacon Chris Hanson
- Leia Vranes — Director of Religious Education / Faith Formation ([email protected], 402-895-0896)
Sacraments
The parish prepares children for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist in second grade and for Confirmation in a two-year 7th-and-8th-grade program, with Confirmation celebrated in April of the 8th-grade year. Confirmation candidates must complete a minimum of 20 service hours divided between at least two approved projects. Parents are required to attend sacramental parent meetings for each sacrament their child receives. A Sunday-morning 'Catch Up Class' serves older children (Grades 3–8) who are baptized Catholic and missing sacraments, unbaptized children, or those seeking initiation into the Catholic Church.
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — 2nd grade
- Confirmation — 7th & 8th grade two-year program; 20 service hours minimum
- Catch Up Class — Grades 3–8, Sunday mornings
- Baptism, Marriage, and Mass Intentions — contact parish office
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. John Vianney reaches every age — from preschool through high school. Wednesday-night Religious Education classes meet for grades 1–8, with Pre-K through 8th grade sessions running 4:15–5:30 p.m. The parish also offers the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Level One and Level Two), a Montessori-based religious formation developed in Rome in 1954 by Sofia Cavaletti and Gianna Gobbi, held in a specially prepared Atrium space. Liturgy of the Word for Children is offered during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass year-round.
- Religious Education Classes for 1st–8th Grade (Wednesdays during school year)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — Level One & Two
- Liturgy of the Word for Children — during 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass (all year)
- Teen Life Ministry — high school students, Wednesdays 7:00–8:30 p.m. in the Social Hall (Sept–April)
- Catechists receive a tuition discount and stipend
Summer Programs (VBS & Totus Tuus)
Every summer the parish hosts Vacation Bible School for children entering kindergarten through 6th grade, and Totus Tuus, the Archdiocese of Omaha's summer catechetical program, for children entering 1st through 12th grade. The 1st–6th grade day program runs 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and the 7th–12th grade evening program runs 6:30–8:45 p.m.; registration is $25 per student and capped at 75 students.
- Vacation Bible School — K through 6th grade
- Totus Tuus — 1st–6th grade day program (9 a.m.–2:30 p.m.)
- Totus Tuus — 7th–12th grade evening program (6:30–8:45 p.m.)
Parish Life & Fellowship
St. John Vianney is known for its strong sense of family and its many social gatherings. Beyond Mass and faith formation, members come together for the monthly parish breakfast, the Lenten Fish Fry, the summer Picnic in the Parking Lot, the annual SJV Feast Day Celebration (Mass, Eucharistic Procession, and complimentary lunch), and ongoing fellowship throughout the year. The parish frames itself as a place where 'our greatest strength' is its members and invites newcomers to join the family.
- Monthly parish breakfast
- Lenten Fish Fry
- Picnic in the Parking Lot (summer)
- SJV Feast Day Celebration (August, around the 9th)
Service & Outreach
The SJV Parish Community Outreach coordinates the parish's efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and serve those in need both locally and internationally, while protecting the confidentiality and dignity of those served. The parish feeds residents at the Stephen Center on the first Thursday of every month (March–November), supports the Siena/Francis Homeless Shelter (with the Knights of Columbus handling December–February), delivers food and clothing to Holy Family Catholic Church through the Dorothy Day Ministry on the last Wednesday of each month, partners with Habitat for Humanity, and maintains international mission ties to Ligera Parish in Tanzania and the Flower of Hope School in Haiti.
- Stephen Center — first Thursday monthly (March–November); Knights of Columbus handle Dec–Feb
- Siena/Francis Homeless Shelter — fifth Thursday months, four to five times a year
- Dorothy Day Ministry — last Wednesday of each month, food & clothing to Holy Family
- Habitat for Humanity
- Tanzania Sister Parish — partnership with Ligera parish near Songea
- Haiti Outreach — Flower of Hope School (electrical, tailoring, beautician training, daily lunches)
Knights of Columbus — Council #7740
Saint John Vianney Council #7740 of the Knights of Columbus is the parish's fraternal service council. The Knights meet on the first Monday of the month (unless it is a holiday) and serve the parish through charity, devotion, and promotion of Catholic values. Members must be male practicing Catholics in good standing, at least 18 years of age. The council also helps prepare and serve the Stephen Center meal during December, January, and February.
- Meets first Monday of the month
- Contact: Grand Knight Michael Downey — [email protected] — 402-690-2337
- Prepares and serves Stephen Center meals Dec–Feb
Mary Our Queen School (PK–8)
St. John Vianney families partner with Mary Our Queen Catholic School, a PK–8 Catholic elementary school located at 3405 S. 119th Street, Omaha, NE 68144. The school welcomes students of any race, religion, nationality, or ethnic origin and offers full- and part-time preschool, pre-K, enrichment programs, and extended care. It is described as a place 'Where Faith & Knowledge Meet' and invites prospective families to schedule a tour.
- Address: 3405 S. 119th Street, Omaha, NE 68144
- Programs: Preschool, Pre-K, K–8, enrichment, extended care
- Open to students of any race, religion, nationality, or ethnic origin
Contact & Visiting
St. John Vianney's parish office is located at 5801 Oak Hills Drive, Omaha, NE 68137, in the Millard / Oak Hills neighborhood of southwest Omaha. The office can be reached at (402) 895-0808 or [email protected]. Office hours are Monday–Thursday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m.–Noon (closed Fridays in July). Newcomers are invited to fill out a Membership Form on the parish website or call the parish office to register.
- Address: 5801 Oak Hills Drive, Omaha, NE 68137
- Phone: (402) 895-0808
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Fri 8 a.m.–Noon (closed Fridays in July)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Paul J. Schwaab1974–(founding pastor)
Appointed by Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan in spring 1974; previously Pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Ponca, NE for 11 years. Celebrated the first Masses in the gymnasium of Mari Sandoz Elementary School on June 15–16, 1974.