The ground was broken for a new Church in the spring of 1983. Fundraising for the Church building came from a variety of sources, but some notable events were the community garage sales and the “12 Homes of Christmas” days, where parishioners opened their homes to be decorated with flowers for viewing and provided baked goods for sale. There was also a comedy show and buffet dinner held at the Upstairs Dinner Theater.

While the Church was being built, the parish also conducted community outreach, sending a newsletter called the “SEA Breeze” to everyone in the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Church was completed in May 1984 at a cost of approximately $1.3 million. It was designed by the architectural firm Zenon-Beringer and Associates, along with input from a building committee made up of twelve St. Elizabeth Ann parishioners. Many delays were caused during the Church’s construction, due to bad weather and parts not arriving on time. But Fr. Tom always had faith that God would always provide what was needed, and everything was finally built.

The structure of the Church was partially buried in the northwest hillside to conserve energy. The architectural design also placed an emphasis on good acoustic sound, natural lighting, and a warm environment.



The Church was dedicated September 16th, 1984 by Archbishop Sheehan. About 50 priests were present to concelebrate, along with Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Milone.

Fr. Tom McDermott was assigned to a different parish as pastor in 1988. From 1988-1990, Fr. Anthony Petrusic served as pastor, and in June 1989, the Stations of the Cross were added to the Church. It was around this time that the $10,000 lottery was introduced as part of the parish picnic.



In May 1990, a beautiful sculpture of the Blessed Mother holding the Child Jesus was added to the Chapel area.

This sculpture was designed by John Lajba, an internationally-recognized sculptor who is responsible for many familiar sculptures in the Omaha area (some examples include: the “Road to Omaha” baseball sculpture at Charles Schwab field, the figures in the Durham Museum lobby, the famous Chef Boyardee statue, and the Memorial Park display honoring veterans).

The stained glass behind the sculpture was later added in 2005.



The year 1990 also saw the addition of the large stained glass windows at the east and west corners of the main Church, at a cost of $30,000 fully paid for by donations. Designed by Ann Cunningham’s Stained Glass Studio of Omaha, these magnificent windows are 19 feet tall and 8 feet wide. They include many symbolic Catholic elements like a dove, a star, a rock, a fish, the sun and moon, and a ship.

From 1990-1995, Fr. Anthony Tresnak served as pastor. Fr. Tresnak guided the parish through the Archbishop’s Campaign for Catholic Education in 1991, helping the Archdiocese of Omaha fundraise $25 million for improvements to churches & schools, and help fund the construction of Skutt Catholic High School.



The funding from this campaign helped greatly in the early stages of developing plans for the new Parish Center.

Fr. Tresnak also introduced the “Life Teen” youth program in 1992. This program allowed youth to have their own mass (Sundays at 5pm) and promoted a wide range of activities for students. The program was very successful and remains one of the parish’s greatest accomplishments, continuing for about 15 years. The parish still has a strong youth ministry program today.

In 1994, the clerestory windows were added near the top of the Church ceiling. These windows integrate the four seasons with the seasons of the Church Year.

In 1995, Fr. Joseph Hanefeldt was assigned as pastor. Under his leadership, the Parish Center was completed, and it opened on All Saints Day (Nov 1) in 1999. Along with the new Parish Center, a brand-new rectory was attached to the Church on the west side.

The first major celebration using the new Parish Center was the “Jubilee 2000” event on 12/31/99, featuring a social hour from 5-6pm, Eucharistic Adoration from 6:30 to 11:30, midnight mass, and a reception following in the Parish Center at 1:00am.

The parish received the outdoor statues of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Joseph in 2001. These solid-bronze statues with gold patina were designed by John Kyne out of Corning, CA.

In December of 2002, our parish, together with St. James, launched the “Faith First” Campaign. Donations from this campaign were designated to help update the educational facilities at the school, and to assist with capital improvements and debt reduction at the parish.

 

In 2004, an extensive renovation was completed for the church building, resulting in new interior painting, new pews and carpet, new altar furnishings, and a tiled sanctuary. 

The Church was re-dedicated with a mass taking place on October 30, 2004, celebrated by Archbishop Elden Curtiss.

The Jubilee celebration for the 25^th anniversary of the parish’s founding was held on June 4, 2006, featuring a mass and banquet.

In 2007, Fr. Hanefeldt was appointed as director of spiritual formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and Fr. Franklin Dvorak was assigned as pastor.

In 2012, Fr. Frank Baumert became the new pastor. Around this time, the “Overflow” youth program was introduced.

On January 14, 2015, it was announced that our beloved former pastor, Msgr. Joseph Hanefeldt, had been appointed Bishop of Grand Island, NE by Pope Francis. Bishop Hanefeldt was ordained a bishop on March 19, 2015 in Grand Island with many of our parishioners in attendance.



In 2019, Fr. Ryan Lewis was assigned as pastor, and navigated the parish through the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2022, he commissioned a new icon of St. Elizabeth Ann, designed by Fr. Richard Reiser.

In 2024, Fr. Lewis was assigned to nearby St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, after the sudden death of their pastor, Fr. Dave Reeson. On October 1, 2024, Fr. Patrick K. Nields was assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann as pastor, and continues his ministry to the present day.



Our parish has come a long way since its humble beginnings at Sunny Slope Elementary School. Now with over 1,100 families, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish continues the mission of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church by ministering to the residents of northwest Omaha.

Pastors of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish