About St. Wenceslaus · Omaha, Nebraska
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is a large, historically Czech-national parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, located at 15353 Pacific Street in west Omaha. Founded in 1877 by Fr. Vaclav Kocarnik as Omaha's national Czech parish, St. Wenceslaus relocated to its present west-Omaha campus in the early 1980s under Msgr. James Cain and has grown into one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese, currently serving roughly 3,200+ registered families. The parish runs a PreK-8 grade school (opened 1985), a full children's faith formation program, an adult formation/OCIA process, and a broad slate of outreach, youth, and parish groups.
- Established
- 1877
- Patron
- St. Wenceslaus (Duke of Bohemia, martyr; patron of Bohemia, the Czech people, and Prague)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael P. "Fr. Mike" Eckley
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Omaha
Why belong here
St. Wenceslaus offers the full sacramental and formation life of a large parish in a single campus: nine weekend Masses (including a Saturday Vigil and three Sunday morning Masses plus an evening Mass), a daily 8:30 AM Mass that is livestreamed, on-site confession six days a week, a PreK-8 Catholic school, an in-person and homeschooling children's faith formation program, OCIA/Becoming Catholic, Alpha, and extensive parish groups, devotions, and outreach ministries — all supported by three priests, nine deacons, and a large lay staff in west Omaha.
Mass times at St. Wenceslaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (parish office; confessions listed on the Mass & Confession page — see parish for priest-confession hours)
- Saturday: 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM (often noted as 3:30–4:45 PM on parish listings)
About St. Wenceslaus
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is a west-Omaha parish of the Archdiocese of Omaha, founded in 1877 as Omaha's national Czech parish and today serving 3,200+ families on a single Pacific Street campus. The parish's mission statement — "Where Jesus is Encountered, Proclaimed, & Shared" — frames its large but family-oriented sacramental, formation, and outreach life.
- Motto: "Where Jesus is Encountered, Proclaimed, & Shared"
- Founded 1877 by Fr. Vaclav Kocarnik
- Part of the Archdiocese of Omaha (Urban Family T, alongside St. Stephen the Martyr, St. Vincent de Paul, and Immaculate Conception at Boys Town)
- Address: 15353 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE 68154
Parish History
St. Wenceslaus began as Omaha's Czech National parish in 1877, with the Sisters of Mercy opening a school two years later. A larger church at 14th and Pine was dedicated in 1887. After 1980, parishioners voted to relocate to west Omaha under Msgr. James Cain; the present school opened in 1985 and the parish grew rapidly with west-side housing development. By the late 2010s the 800-seat sanctuary was outgrown, and the new ~1,400-seat church — incorporating art salvaged from the 1887 church — was dedicated by Archbishop Lucas.
- 1877: Parish founded by Fr. Vaclav Kocarnik
- 1879: Sisters of Mercy open a grade school
- 1887: Second church dedicated at 14th & Pine
- 1980: Parishioners vote to relocate to west Omaha
- 1981: Move to west-Omaha campus under Msgr. James Cain
- 1984: Original west-side church built
- 1985: St. Wenceslaus School opens K–2, adds a grade yearly
- 2018-era: New larger sanctuary planned, built, and dedicated
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by three resident priests and a large deacon corps, with lay staff running faith formation, liturgy, communications, evangelization, youth ministry, and parish business operations.
- Pastor: Fr. Mike Eckley ([email protected])
- Senior Associate Pastor: Fr. Timothy M. Podraza
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Tobias M. Letak
- Hospital & Care Facilities: Fr. Andy Sohm
- Deacons: Joe Kulus, Michael J. DeSelm, William W. Carter Jr., Mark Capoun, Bradford Schaefer, Jack A. Miller, Michael Masek, Patrick Simons
- Lisa Klug — Business Manager
- Olivier Coutant — Director of Liturgy & Communications (livestream, website, myWenc app)
- Julie Lukasiewicz — Director of Faith Formation
- Emily Barker — Director of Evangelization (Alpha, OCIA, Small Groups)
- Mitchell Hochstein — Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Faith Formation & School
Faith formation at St. Wenceslaus spans three coordinated tracks: the parish's PreK-8 Catholic school, an in-person Wednesday-evening Children's Faith Formation program with a homeschool/parent-led alternative, and an adult formation track that includes Alpha, Becoming Catholic (OCIA), and ongoing small groups.
- St. Wenceslaus Catholic School (PreK–8, three sections per grade)
- Children's Faith Formation: Wednesdays 6:15–7:30 PM, Aug–May
- Homeschool / parent-led faith formation option
- Becoming Catholic / OCIA (RCIA)
- Alpha
- Called & Gifted discernment
- Centering Prayer
- FORMED subscription access through the parish
- Live Lent Together (archdiocesan Lent program)
- Welcome Weekend (Men's and Women's overnight retreats)
Parish Groups & Committees
A long list of parish groups gives multiple on-ramps into parish life — from the Parish Pastoral Council and Catholic Social Teaching Committee to senior fellowship, vocational discernment, and youth and young-adult ministry.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Catholic Social Teaching Committee
- Vocations committee
- Prime Timers (seniors)
- Vaclav Parish Festival Committee
- American Heritage Girls Troop NE1980 (girls 5–18)
- Emmaus Table (women's gospel-sharing)
- Small Groups (Lent and year-round)
Outreach, Vaclav Festival, and Heritage
Outreach at St. Wenceslaus is coordinated through the parish's outreach ministries (including refugee assistance) and its Catholic Social Teaching Committee. The annual Vaclav Parish Festival is the parish's signature celebration of its Czech-Catholic heritage, organized by a dedicated parish committee.
- Outreach Ministries — parish outreach and refugee assistance
- Catholic Social Teaching Committee — promotes CST principles through prayer, education, service, and advocacy
- Vaclav Parish Festival — annual Czech-heritage festival honoring the parish's 1877 founding
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the full sacramental life of the Church — from infant baptism through the Eucharist and Confirmation, marriage preparation, and care of the sick — supported by a full-time faith formation staff and a deacon corps.
- Baptism (through parish preparation)
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist (through Children's Faith Formation)
- Confirmation (through youth ministry)
- Marriage preparation (through parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick / hospital ministry (Fr. Andy Sohm)
- Becoming Catholic / OCIA (RCIA) for unbaptized and baptized Christians
Visit, Contact, and Getting Involved
The parish office is open seven days a week with extended Mon–Thu hours, and the myWenc app plus the website carry the most current Mass, confession, and event information. Newcomers are encouraged to come to a weekend Mass, sign up for Welcome Weekend, or join one of the parish's many small groups.
- Parish office: 15353 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE 68154-2871 — (402) 330-0304
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closes at noon in summer); Sat 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM; Sun 7:30 AM – 1:15 PM
- myWenc parish app
- Facebook livestream and YouTube recordings for those at home
- Register for Welcome Weekend or join a Small Group through the parish's Adult Formation pages
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Vaclav Kocarnik1877–
Founder of the parish as a Czech National parish in Omaha.
- Msgr. James Cainearly 1980s–
Pastored the relocation from downtown Omaha to the present west-Omaha campus; oversaw construction of the church and the opening of St. Wenceslaus School in 1985.
- Fr. Frank Dvorak
Succeeded Msgr. Cain among the school's six listed pastors.
- Fr. Mel Merwald
One of the six pastors of the relocated parish.
- Fr. Mike Swanson
One of the six pastors of the relocated parish.
- Fr. Tom Bauwens
Led the parish during the 2018-era new-church campaign; the new sanctuary was dedicated under his pastorship.
- Fr. Mike Eckleycurrent
Current pastor; listed by both the parish website and the Archdiocese of Omaha directory.