About St. Mary · Bellevue, Nebraska
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a thriving parish in Bellevue, Nebraska, founded on April 25, 1921 by Archbishop Jeremiah J. Harty of Omaha — originally as St. Mark's Parish, and renamed St. Mary in 1933 under Father Richard Ahern to honor the Blessed Virgin and the Jesuit missionaries De Smet and Hoecken who once labored in Bellevue. The parish sits at 811 West 23rd Avenue and serves the Bellevue/Fort Crook community with a full schedule of daily and weekend Masses in English and Spanish, 24/7 Perpetual Adoration (continuous since 1953), a parish school, a robust religious education program, and an active Catholic community rooted in a century of Nebraska Catholic history.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (patronal title reflected in parish name; original dedication honored 'St. Mark,' later 'St. Mary')
- Rector
- Reverend Lydell (Del) Lape
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers something for nearly every Catholic at every stage of life: a full schedule of daily and weekend Masses (including a 1:30 PM Spanish Mass on Sunday), Perpetual Adoration that has run continuously since 1953, a parish school serving grades K-8, a robust faith-formation program for children and youth (Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and a Totus Tuus summer program), and an unusually deep bench of lay ministries including Knights of Columbus Council 6192, St. Vincent de Paul, Troop 305 Scouts, Stephen Ministry, ChristLife, Bible studies, Women's fellowship, and a Hispanic community with its own Spanish-language Mass and Reconciliation. It is also one of the historic parishes of the Archdiocese of Omaha — celebrating a century of Catholic life in Bellevue in 2021 — which gives newcomers a real sense of rootedness and tradition to plug into.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 5:00 – 5:30 PM (English)
- Friday: 6:00 – 7:00 PM (Spanish, per most recent bulletin)
- Saturday: 3:30 – 4:45 PM (Bilingual)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the church — continuous since 1953. Coordinated through an Adoration Coordinator and team of Day Captains; sign up for an hour by calling the rectory or coordinator Cindy Kueffer at 402-292-1521.
History of St. Mary's Parish
St. Mary's was established on April 25, 1921 by Archbishop Jeremiah J. Harty as St. Mark's Parish to serve the spiritual needs of a fast-growing Bellevue that until then had been served from Papillion and South Omaha. After six years under the founding pastors (Ballou, Zabalza, Werthman), the parish was committed in March 1927 to the Columban Fathers, who would care for it for the next seven decades. The Mission-style church building now known as St. Mark's Hall was dedicated at the Midnight Mass of Christmas, 1933. The parish was renamed 'St. Mary's' on July 14, 1933 to honor the Blessed Virgin and Jesuit missionaries De Smet and Hoecken, both of whom had 'Mary' in their names.
- Officially established April 25, 1921 by Archbishop Jeremiah J. Harty
- Originally named St. Mark's; renamed St. Mary's on July 14, 1933
- Placed under the Columban Fathers in March 1927 (Father E. J. McCarthy first Columban pastor)
- Mission-style church (now St. Mark's Hall) dedicated Christmas, 1933
- Cornerstone laid for the present St. Mary's Church in 1956; first Mass offered Palm Sunday 1957
- Parish School dedicated August 29, 1948 (architect Leo Daly); founding faculty were three Dominican Sisters from Louisville, KY
- Centennial celebrated April 25, 2021 with Archbishop Lucas
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, an associate pastor, and five deacons, supported by a full lay staff including a school principal, director of catechesis, business manager, parish secretary, stewardship coordinator, ChristLife coordinator, communications coordinator, head sacristan, and music director.
- Pastor — Rev. Lydell (Del) Lape (since 2016)
- Associate Pastor — Rev. Joseph (Joe) Kwasau (since 2023)
- Deacons — Gary Bash, Jeff Braxton, Charles L'Archevesque, Lee Mayhan, Ted Menzel
- Spanish Mass Coordinator — Fr. Chris Saenz
- School Principal — Dr. Trish Wallinger
- Director of Catechesis & Evangelization — Rachel Gifford
- Religious Ed / Youth Ministry — Maureen Willoughby
- Music Director — Sally Ames
St. Mary's Parish School
St. Mary's Catholic School serves grades K-8 and has its own building at 903 W. Mission Avenue, across from the rectory. The school was dedicated on August 29, 1948, founded with a Dominican Sisters faculty from Louisville, Kentucky. It grew rapidly through the 1950s — peaking around 514 students in 1960 — and was expanded multiple times (Marian Addition in 1954; Pope John XXIII Addition in 1962) to keep up with Bellevue's post-war growth.
- Founded 1948 under Father Robert A. Garvey
- Current Principal: Dr. Trish Wallinger (402-291-1694; [email protected])
- Expanded with Marian Addition (1954) and Pope John XXIII Addition (1962)
- Original faculty were three Dominican Sisters from Louisville, KY
- To learn more: stmarysschoolbellevue.com
Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and RCIA
All faith-formation work is coordinated through the Office of Catechesis & Evangelization (OCE), under Director Rachel Gifford. The parish offers Religious Education classes, a Youth Ministry program, the Totus Tuus summer program, the RCIA / Order of Christian Initiation (contact Fr. Del Lape for adult inquiries), and a Sunday-morning Children's Liturgy of the Word for children ages 4 through 4th grade during the 10:00 AM Mass.
- Director of Catechesis & Evangelization: Rachel Gifford ([email protected]; 402-506-6485)
- Religious Education / Youth Ministry Coordinator: Maureen Willoughby
- Totus Tuus summer program for grade-school and high-school youth
- Children's Liturgy of the Word during 10:00 AM Sunday Mass (ages 4–grade 4)
- RCIA for adults — contact Fr. Del Lape
Outreach and Service
Outreach is a major dimension of parish life at St. Mary's. The St. Vincent de Paul conference helps poor and needy families in zip code 68005 with rent, utilities, medications, and transportation. The parish collaborates regularly with ENCAP and Lift Up Sarpy, runs an annual 'Bundle Sunday' clothing drive, supports the Tree of Angels Christmas-giving program, and sponsors Scouting (Troop 305 and Pack 305). The Knights of Columbus Council 6192 hosts Lenten Fish Fry Dinners every Friday in Lent at the Knights Event Center.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — call rectory ext. 3 to request help
- Troop 305 Scouts (chartered since 1948, parish sponsor since 1999) and Pack 305 (1st–5th grade)
- Knights of Columbus Council 6192 — Fish Fry Dinners 5:00–7:30 PM every Friday in Lent at the Knights Event Center
- Bundle Sunday clothing drives benefiting the poor
- Tree of Angels (holiday giving)
- Guild Outreach collections (e.g. school-supply drive for Bellevue Together)
Prayer, Devotions, and Adult Formation
Beyond the Mass schedule and Perpetual Adoration, the parish offers a Prayer Chain (402-292-2639), Spiritual Direction (Debbie Sheehan, 402-680-0376), Homebound Communion visitation, ChristLife (a Catholic evangelization/discipleship process coordinated by Tina Targy), Lenten Bible Study (hosted by Rachel Gifford on Fridays), and women's fellowship through the Women of Grace group (monthly potluck in the Parish Center).
- Prayer Chain — 402-292-2639
- Spiritual Direction — Debbie Sheehan (402-680-0376)
- Homebound Communion — Diane Williams (402-291-8473)
- ChristLife — Tina Targy (402-709-6980)
- Women of Grace — monthly potluck in the Parish Center
- Stephen Ministry — Dan Taylor (402-707-4581)
Sacraments
Information on each sacrament is published in the parish bulletin. Baptisms require a preparatory session for parents before scheduling. First Communion / First Reconciliation and Confirmation are coordinated through the Office of Catechesis & Evangelization. Marriages in the Archdiocese of Omaha must be arranged at least six months in advance, and couples are asked to contact the church before booking a reception venue. Sick calls and Anointing of the Sick, as well as funeral arrangements, are handled through the rectory.
- Baptism: parent preparatory session required — call rectory
- First Communion, First Reconciliation, Confirmation: contact OCE ([email protected] / 402-506-6485)
- Marriage: arrange ≥ 6 months ahead per Archdiocese of Omaha policy
- Anointing of the Sick / Funerals: contact the rectory
- RCIA: contact Fr. Del Lape at 402-291-1350
Practical Information for Visitors
St. Mary's is located at 811 W. 23rd Avenue, Bellevue, Nebraska 68005, with the school across the way at 903 W. Mission Avenue. The rectory office is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM (closed weekends and holidays). The main parish phone is 402-291-1350 (fax 402-915-5064), with email [email protected]; the school's number is 402-291-1694.
- Address: 811 W. 23rd Avenue, Bellevue, NE 68005
- Rectory phone: 402-291-1350 · fax 402-915-5064
- Rectory email: [email protected]
- School: 903 W. Mission Avenue (Principal Dr. Trish Wallinger, 402-291-1694)
- Office of Catechesis & Evangelization: 402-506-6485 · [email protected]
- Newcomers are encouraged to register via the Parish Registration link on stmarysbellevue.com
- Online Giving available via the website
- Parish bulletin and Flocknote email updates are the main communications channels
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Mark L. Ballou1921–1922
First pastor; territory included Bellevue, Fort Crook, LaPlatte, Avery, and Gillmore.
- Nicholas Zabalza1922–1924
Augustinian friar from Holy Ghost Parish, Omaha.
- Francis Werthman1924–1927
Reduced parish debt substantially; also Chaplain at St. Joseph's Hospital.
- Edward J. McCarthy, SSC1927–1933
First Columban pastor; designed the Mission-style church now known as St. Mark's Hall.
- Richard Ahern, SSC1933–1942
Renamed parish from St. Mark's to St. Mary's; laid the cornerstone of the 1933 church with full ancient rites.
- Ernest G. Graham1942–1945
Installed the white-oak liturgical altar; left $7,000 in building fund for the school.
- Robert A. Garvey1945–1969
Longest-tenured pastor; built and dedicated St. Mary's School (1948) and oversaw the major mid-century expansions.
- William Martin1969–1978
- Ralph Lammers1978–1987
- Thomas Ward1989–1998
- Frank Lordeman1998–2004
- Dennis (Denny) Hanneman2004–2016
Retired in 2016.
- Lydell (Del) Lape2016–present
Current pastor.