St. Patrick

Mission and Parish Identity

St. Patrick Catholic Church exists, in its own words, 'to encounter Jesus by loving as commanded by Jesus Christ, serving as exemplified by Jesus Christ, and making disciples as commissioned by Jesus Christ.' The parish identifies as the anchor of a five-parish family group under the Archdiocese of Omaha's Journey of Faith pastoral planning: St. Patrick (Fremont), St. Lawrence (Scribner), St. Rose (Hooper), St. Charles Borromeo (North Bend), and St. Leo (Snyder). Together they support more than 2,500 households. The parish office at 422 E. 4th Street is the shared mailing address for St. Patrick, St. Lawrence, and St. Rose, while St. Charles Borromeo and St. Leo keep a separate business office in North Bend. The parish is bilingual, with English- and Spanish-language Masses, formation, and ministries running in parallel.

Parish History

Catholic life in the Fremont area began with the Bloomer brothers' land claims in 1856 and the first recorded baptism by a traveling priest from St. John's Columbus on May 23, 1867. Fr. John Lonergan became the first resident pastor on January 1, 1868, and the parish's first wooden church was celebrated on May 16, 1869. A more substantial brick/stone church was begun in the early 1890s and completed by the fifth pastor, Fr. Charles Mugan, shortly before 1900. In 1880 Fr. T.W. O'Connor moved the original frame church to the 4th and Union site, where the parish would remain for more than a century. After the elementary school closed in 1975, the parish was shepherded in turn by Frs. Raus, Swanson, and Lordemann. Fr. Owen Korte became pastor in 1998 and led the drive to build the current church (dedicated December 10, 2001, mortgage burned December 13, 2009), restart the elementary grades, and rename the renovated white building the Msgr. Flynn Education Center. Fr. Dave Belt continued the work (2010–present school building, 2016 Early Childhood Education Center), and Fr. Walter Nolte has been pastor since June 2017, leading the parish into its current five-parish family group.

• 1856 — first Catholic land claims in Dodge County by John and Arthur Bloomer
• 1867 — first recorded baptism in Fremont (May 23)
• 1868 — Fr. John Lonergan named first pastor (January 1)
• 1869 — first church building celebrated (May 16)
• 1880 — frame church moved to 4th & Union
• 1890s–c.1900 — second, much larger church built under Frs. Fitzgerald and Mugan
• 1975 — elementary school closes
• 1998 — Fr. Owen Korte arrives; sixth grade restored; Msgr. Flynn Education Center named
• 2001 — new church dedicated December 10
• 2006–2010 — elementary grades gradually re-added; preschool/elementary building dedicated 2010
• 2009 — mortgage burned December 13
• 2017 — Fr. Walter Nolte becomes pastor
• 2019 & 2023 — four additional parishes join the family group

Clergy and Staff

The pastoral team includes the pastor and three associate priests, eight deacons, and a sizable parish staff covering youth, adult, and Hispanic ministries, faith formation, communications, finance, and music. The parish office is staffed Monday–Thursday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm and Friday 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (with a staff meeting 9–10 am).

• Rev. Walter L. Nolte — Pastor
• Rev. Steven D. Emanuel — Senior Associate Pastor
• Rev. William J. (Bill) Cremers — Associate Pastor
• Rev. Joseph R. Sund — Associate Pastor
• Deacons: Daniel Mueller, Joseph Uhlik, Victor Henry, Edward Gentrup, David Probst, Craig Steel, Thomas Silva, Alberto Martinez
• Lori Kisby — Director of Youth Ministries & Safe Environment Coordinator (x208)
• Kate Casale — Adult Faith Formation Director (x209)
• Krystal Morales — Assistant Office Manager & Director of Hispanic Ministry (x202)
• Maya Bazua — Front Office Assistant, bilingual (x203)
• Crystal Sixta — Director of Parish Communications, Hospitality & Indoor Environment (x207)
• Stacie Roberts — Director of Finance & Accounts Payable (x205)
• MaryBeth Hilbers — Director of Music Ministry
• Stephanie Webb — Human Resources & Evangelization
• Sharon Francis — Office Manager (x201)
• Deacon Joe Uhlik — Director of Grief Ministry & Eucharistic Adoration

Faith Formation & Catholic Education

St. Patrick partners closely with Archbishop Bergan Catholic School (PreK-12) and runs a parallel youth faith formation program for parish kids, plus adult formation and a homeschool co-op. Children who attend Bergan receive their theology during the school day, but parish families are welcome to also enroll them in Wednesday-evening Faith Formation. The parish also runs a preschool, an Early Childhood Education Center (daycare ages 3–12 plus preschool), and a complete elementary through high school Catholic education.

• Archbishop Bergan Catholic School — PreK-12, with new elementary building at 1515 N. Johnson Road
• Early Childhood Education Center — opened 2016 in the Community Center; daycare ages 3-12 plus preschool
• Youth Faith Formation — grades 1 through Confirmation, Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 pm at Bergan Elementary
• Confirmation preparation — 7th and 8th grade; includes service hours, retreat, and Life in the Spirit Seminars with parents
• RCIC — for children age 8+ not yet baptized; weekly during Faith Formation; received at Easter Vigil
• Sacraments Classes — grades 3–7 for baptized children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion
• Adult Faith Formation — Bible studies, retreats, parish conferences (Kate Casale, Director)
• Fremont Area Catholic Homeschool Group
• Prayer Honor Roll — youth memorize progressively more prayers each year, totaling 20 by Confirmation
• 'Penny and a Prayer' — youth collection supporting the parish food pantry

Liturgy, Music, and Environment

Music and liturgical ministries support every weekend and weekday Mass, including a thriving Spanish-language liturgy. Adult and youth volunteers serve as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Mass Coordinators, Servers, choir members, and environment caretakers.

• Music Ministry — MaryBeth Hilbers, Director
• Children's Choir
• Altar Servers
• Eucharistic Ministers (including EMHCs to the sick and homebound)
• Lectors and Mass Coordinators
• Hispanic Liturgical Ministries — Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Mass Coordinator, Server (Spanish)
• Liturgy, Music & Environment teams

Parish Ministries, Organizations, and Outreach

Beyond the sanctuary, St. Patrick runs a dense network of ministries and organizations that touch nearly every age and interest. The parish maintains active fraternal and women's organizations, a strong pro-life and social-concerns presence, men's and women's spiritual groups, and a robust Hispanic ministry with bilingual baptism classes and liturgical training.

• Knights of Columbus — Anthony Tvrdy (402-727-1671)
• Catholic Daughters — Renee Brown (402-719-4556) / Cheryl Lucht (402-740-1186)
• St. Pat's Women — funeral dinners, parish bazaar, Care Corps meals (Lynnette Sellon, 402-720-0474)
• Social Concerns Committee — Mary Narans (402-719-5720): food drive, Lenten Giving Tree, St. Vincent de Paul support
• Pro-Life Ministry — works with Fremont Area Right to Life
• Seven Sisters Apostolate — Jeanne Boesch (402-720-3278): daily Holy Hour for each parish priest
• Refiner's Fire / In His Name Prayer Team — Fr. Bill Cremers
• Exodus 90 Men's Group
• Moms of St. Pats
• Young Adult Community (YAC)
• Christians Encounter Christ (CEC)
• LIFT High School Youth Group
• Hispanic Ministry — Krystal Morales (x202): bilingual baptism classes, Hispanic liturgical ministries
• Bereavement Ministry — Deacon Joe Uhlik
• Ministry to the Sick and Homebound
• Parish food pantry (supported by 'Penny and a Prayer' and Social Concerns)
• Operation Christmas Child
• Finance Committee, Parish Council, and Endowment Committees (parish and school)
• Codicil Club — legacy/estate planning for the parish and school

Sacraments

Information about preparing for and receiving each of the sacraments is available through the parish office and the parish website. Baptism preparation is offered in both English and Spanish; First Reconciliation and First Communion are typically received during the Easter Vigil after the Sacraments Classes; Confirmation is a two-year program with parent involvement; the parish welcomes inquiries about marriage and anointing of the sick.

• Baptism — English classes 2nd Saturday (8:45–10:30 am, Kate Casale x209); Spanish classes last Saturday (9:30 am–12:30 pm, Krystal Morales x202)
• First Reconciliation & First Communion — Sacraments Classes (grades 3–7), received at Easter Vigil
• Confirmation — 7th and 8th grade, two-year program
• RCIC — for unbaptized children age 8+
• Marriage — call the parish office (402-721-6611)
• Anointing of the Sick & Ministry to the Homebound — call the parish office

Family of Parishes (Journey of Faith)

As part of the Archdiocese of Omaha's Journey of Faith pastoral planning process, St. Patrick is the anchor of a five-parish family group. St. Lawrence of Scribner and St. Rose of Hooper joined in 2019, followed by St. Charles Borromeo of North Bend and St. Leo of Snyder in 2023. St. Patrick's parish office at 422 E. 4th Street serves as the mailing address for the first three parishes; St. Charles Borromeo and St. Leo maintain their own business office at 811 Locust St., North Bend, NE 68649 (402-652-8484).

• St. Patrick — Fremont (anchor parish)
• St. Lawrence — Scribner (joined 2019)
• St. Rose — Hooper (joined 2019)
• St. Charles Borromeo — North Bend (joined 2023)
• St. Leo — Snyder (joined 2023)