About St. Mary Magdalene · Omaha, Nebraska
St. Mary Magdalene is a Roman Catholic parish in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, serving as the city's historic downtown Catholic church for nearly 150 years. Founded in 1868 by German immigrants and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, the parish is famous for being the church that was famously 'built top to bottom' in 1919–20 when Dodge Street was lowered 20 feet — a project overseen by its longest-serving pastor, Msgr. Bernard Sinne. The current church at the southeast corner of 19th and Dodge Streets houses two full sets of stained-glass windows crafted by the Franz Mayer Co. of Munich, one of only a handful of churches in the United States with that distinction. Today the parish offers 27 Masses a week, daily Confessions, and draws an average of 2,300–3,000 worshipers across its weekend liturgies, with most registered families traveling in from across the metropolitan area.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. Mary Magdalene
- Rector
- Father Rodney Adams
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Mary Magdalene offers one of the most extraordinary liturgical opportunities in the Midwest: 27 Masses every week — three each weekday plus five on Sunday and three on Saturday — with Confessions heard daily about 30 minutes before each Mass. For people who work downtown or who treasure the simplicity of a quiet, music-light, brief daily Mass, the parish has been a spiritual anchor in central Omaha for nearly 150 years. It draws a citywide congregation (most of its 364 registered families live outside the downtown service area) united by an intense devotion to the Eucharist, an active St. Vincent de Paul Society, a robust RCIA program, and the unique chance to worship in a National Register of Historic Places church with two full sets of Franz Mayer of Munich stained-glass windows.
Mass times at St. Mary Magdalene
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: approximately 11:50 AM – 12:05 PM and 15 minutes before all Sunday Masses
- Weekdays: 6:45 AM – 7:00 AM (Mon–Sat) and approximately 15 minutes before all Mass times
- Heard in the church basement approximately 30 minutes before Masses
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration is not specifically listed; the parish does provide the daily 5:15 PM Mass and frequent Confessions as part of its Eucharistic focus. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel (built 1940) is part of the church.
About St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church is the historic downtown parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha, located at the southeast corner of 19th and Dodge Streets. Founded in 1868 by German Catholic immigrants and now approaching 160 years of continuous ministry, the parish is best known for its extraordinary 1902 church building — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — and for the rare fact that the building was 'built down' an entire story in 1919–20 when Dodge Street was lowered by 20 feet. Today the parish welcomes worshipers from across the metropolitan area to 27 Masses a week and daily Confessions.
- Founded 1868 by German immigrants
- Current church built 1902–03 at 19th and Dodge Streets
- Archdiocese of Omaha
- National Register of Historic Places
History
The parish was founded in 1868 by German-speaking Catholic immigrants, with Father Otto Groenebaum celebrating the first Mass on Christmas Day in the original church at 16th and Douglas Streets. Father George Glauber succeeded him in 1881 and led the parish through the 1894 fire that destroyed the first church, the eight-year 'doll church' replacement, and groundbreaking in 1902 for the current 19th-and-Dodge church. The building was completed in 1903 for about $40,000. In 1904, Father Bernard Sinne arrived directly from Germany to take over and would serve an astonishing 57 years as pastor — the longest tenure in parish history and one of the longest in American Catholic history.
- 1868 — parish founded by German immigrants
- 1868 — first Mass Christmas Day at 16th and Douglas
- 1894 — fire destroys original church; small 'doll church' replacement built
- 1902–03 — current church built at 19th and Dodge (contractor Benno Kunkel, ~$40,000)
- 1904 — Msgr. Bernard Sinne arrives from Germany
The Church Built Top to Bottom
The most extraordinary chapter in the parish's history unfolded between 1919 and 1920, when the City of Omaha lowered Dodge Street by 20 feet to ease its steep grade for motorists. Rather than abandon the building, Msgr. Sinne raised $275,000 and worked with Omaha architect John Latenser to literally build a new floor beneath the existing church, gutting the original ground floor (which became the present balcony), installing a new main entrance and stained-glass windows, and converting the former main doors into windows. The Dodge Street project involved the excavation of 350,000 cubic yards of dirt — a block to the west, Dodge ultimately lay 36 feet below its 1880 elevation.
- 1919–20 'building down' project
- Architect John Latenser
- Cost ~$275,000 (Sinne later cited $150,000 in direct church expense)
- Dodge Street lowered 20 feet (36 feet one block west)
Stained Glass — Two Sets by Franz Mayer of Munich
St. Mary Magdalene possesses two full sets of stained-glass windows designed and fabricated by the renowned Franz Mayer Co. of Munich, Germany — one of only a handful of churches in the United States to own two complete sets from this studio, spanning a generation. The first set was installed in 1902 in what is now the upper level and depicts scenes from the lives of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary (with one window showing St. Margaret Mary Alacoque). The second set, installed in the 1920s in the new ground-floor level, includes the famous 'Good Samaritan on the Battlefield' window and the 'Sinne Window' depicting Pope Pius X, Msgr. Sinne, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
- Two complete sets of Franz Mayer of Munich stained glass
- 1902 set — upper level (formerly ground floor)
- 1920s set — current main level
- 'Good Samaritan on the Battlefield' window with 'Pro Deo et Patria' inscription
- 'Sinne Window' featuring Msgr. Bernard Sinne, Pope Pius X, St. Thomas Aquinas
- Two windows dedicated to St. Cecilia
- No Crucifixion window — Nativity and Resurrection face each other
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Father Rodney Adams, an Omaha native who became the parish's seventh pastor in 2016. Father Adams grew up in Omaha with four sisters and a brother, attended Roncalli Catholic High School and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, studied at St. Paul Seminary, served as campus ministry chaplain at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, completed doctoral studies at St. Louis University, and most recently was Associate Pastor at St. Patrick's in Elkhorn before being named pastor of St. Mary Magdalene. Msgr. James Gilg (pastor 1998–2016) and Father William Fitzgerald assist with sacramental ministry and are listed in the Archdiocese directory in residence at the parish.
- Father Rodney Adams — Pastor (since 2016), seventh pastor in parish history
- Msgr. James Gilg — Pastor Emeritus (1998–2016)
- Father William Fitzgerald — Sacramental assistance / parish priest
Ministries and Faith Formation
Despite its small registered-family count (about 364 families), St. Mary Magdalene runs an unusually active sacramental and outreach life. The parish runs a robust Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program and an active St. Vincent de Paul Society, and it hosts 'Magdalene Communities' — small faith-sharing groups that meet in parishioners' homes, coordinated by Ann Lenz (402-990-3296). The parish also donates half of its weekend collections to Catholic ministries across Omaha and the Archdiocese.
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Magdalene Communities (small faith-sharing groups)
- Hospitality / visitor ministry (many downtown and out-of-town guests)
- Half of collections donated to Catholic ministries across the Archdiocese
Music and Liturgy
The parish is known for a deliberately simple, music-light, brief liturgy that many longtime attendees appreciate as a refuge from busier parish celebrations. Special music, however, marks major feasts: the Omaha singing group Mulberry Lane performs an annual Christmas concert at the church before Midnight Mass, and the parish has hosted guest choirs (such as the choir of St. Stephen the Martyr Parish) for major anniversaries and special occasions.
- Daily Masses kept simple and brief (little music)
- Annual Mulberry Lane Christmas concert before Midnight Mass
- Guest choirs invited for special feasts and anniversaries
Sacraments
All seven sacraments are available at St. Mary Magdalene through the parish office. Baptisms, weddings, and funerals are regularly scheduled; Confession is offered daily before every Mass; and the parish runs formation programs for First Communion, Confirmation, and adult initiation (RCIA). Anointing of the Sick may be requested through the rectory.
- Baptism
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Marriage (Weddings)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funerals
- Confession (daily)
- RCIA (adults)
Buildings, Renovations, and Capital Projects
The current church has undergone several major interventions since its 1902–03 construction: the 1919–20 'building down' beneath the lowered Dodge Street; the 1940 construction of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (a gift from parishioner Margaret P. Hynes); the 2007 installation of a new church steeple during Msgr. Gilg's pastorate; and an ongoing $1 million campaign to replace the long-neglected roofs, which had raised about $700,000 by the 150th anniversary in 2018.
- 1919–20 — building lowered to new Dodge Street grade
- 1940 — Blessed Sacrament Chapel built (gift of Margaret P. Hynes)
- 2007 — new church steeple installed
- 2018 — $1 million roof-replacement campaign underway
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Otto Groenebaum1867–1881
Began the mission to Omaha's German-speaking Catholics in 1867 and celebrated the first Mass on Christmas Day 1868 at the original church at 16th and Douglas Streets.
- Father George Glauber1881–1904
Succeeded Groenebaum; led the parish through the 1894 fire that destroyed the first church, the eight-year lifespan of the small 'doll church' replacement, and the construction of the current 1902–03 church at 19th and Dodge. Also helped found St. Joseph Church south of downtown in 1886.
- Monsignor Bernard Sinne1904–1961
Longest-serving pastor (57 years); called directly from Germany by Bishop Richard Scannell and ordained May 5, 1904 at Freiburg. Made Domestic Prelate (Monsignor) by Pope Pius XI in December 1925. Oversaw the famous 1919–20 'building down' project with architect John Latenser (cost ~$275,000) when Dodge Street was lowered 20 feet; commissioned the second set of Franz Mayer stained-glass windows; built the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in 1940 with funds from Margaret P. Hynes; died shortly before his death in 1961. The 'Sinne Window' in the church honors him.
- (Unnamed pastors, 1961–c.1998)1961–c.1998
Father Rodney Adams is described in 2018 as the parish's 'seventh pastor since its founding,' implying three additional pastors served between Msgr. Sinne's death in 1961 and Msgr. Gilg's arrival — these names are not specified in the sources reviewed.
- Monsignor James Gilgc.1998–2016
Eighteen-year pastorate; oversaw installation of the new church steeple in 2007. Succeeded by Father Rodney Adams in 2016. Still listed by the Archdiocese of Omaha as Retired in residence at the parish.
- Father Rodney Adams2016–present
Seventh pastor since the parish's founding. Omaha native who attended Roncalli Catholic High School, the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and St. Paul Seminary; previously Associate Pastor at St. Patrick's in Elkhorn. Has served at several parishes in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Leads the current $1 million roof-replacement campaign.