A crowd fills St. Bernard Church in Omaha Feb. 1 for an afternoon Mass that included the dedication of the renovated church’s altar, ambo, Presider’s chair, baptismal font and ambry. Archbishop Curtiss presided at the 2 p.m. Mass and was joined at the altar by 12 archdiocesan priests. Lisa Maxson/staff.
Click here to see photos from the dedication Mass.
Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss pours chrism oil on the new altar at St. Bernard Church in Omaha Feb. 1. Lisa Maxson/staff.
New altar dedicated at refurbished St. Bernard Church By LISA MAXSON Catholic Voice
St. Bernard Church in Omaha has been restored to its original beauty.
Pews replace the green covered chairs that for years filled the church's interior, and shades of gold, red and blue cover the once white, cracked plaster walls.
With this new look comes a new feeling, said Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss Feb. 1 at the ceremony celebrating the church's refurbishment.
"It's a great joy for me to be here to rededicate the church of St. Bernard and see it restored to its original beauty," he said during his homily. "When you come in, you feel yourself in a sacred space and have a sense of the Lord's presence."
Archbishop Curtiss presided at the 2 p.m. Mass, and 12 archdiocesan priests concelebrated with him, including Father Jerome Spenner, pastor, and Father Matthew Gutowski, who is in residence at St. Bernard.
During the ceremony, Archbishop Curtiss sprinkled holy water on the new dark-stained oak altar, ambo, tabernacle, ambry, baptismal font, and Presider's chair. He also anointed the altar with chrism oil and incensed it.
Archbishop Curtiss thanked Father Spenner for the "wonderful job" he has done at the parish for the past 12 years. He also thanked the parishioners for the sacrifices they made so the renovation could happen.
"It's for you, your children and grandchildren, and the future parishioners of St. Bernard," Archbishop Curtiss said. "It's a great day of rejoicing."
Campaign fulfilled
Sunday's ceremony brought closure to a $1.8 million renovation project that began nearly eight years ago, Father Spenner said, calling the ceremony "a holy event."
He said he hopes the refurbished church continues to increase the parishioners' holiness as the people of God.
"I thank the archbishop for helping us make our space holy so that we can become more holy people," he told the Catholic Voice.
The multiphase project included repair of the roof, exterior walls, windows and ceilings, installation of new lighting, heating and air systems, sound system, carpet, ceramic tile and wood floors, and pews, as well as newly painted walls and side aisle ceilings.
A permanent platform was installed in the altar area, as well as wheelchair accessibility.
The last and final phase, which will take place once the parish has raised the necessary funds, will include new bathrooms, new outside entry doors, new door arch/side lights, larger gathering/entry are, remodeling of sidewalks and steps, construction of a narthex on the west side that will include a handicap ramp entrance.
The general contractor was Lund Ross Constructors.
Beth Klug, who served as the development director for the capital campaign from 2001 to 2006, was among the nearly 350 people who attended the dedication Mass. At a reception after the Mass, she said she felt privileged and honored to have been a part of the campaign.
When Father Spenner asked her to raise the $1.8 million, other development directors told her the parish couldn't do it without hiring a development firm, she said.
"I said, 'We don't have a choice. We're going to do it and I'm going to run it and the parish is going to make it happen,'" Klug said. "I knew it would work when one of our senior parishioners in the feasibility study said, 'I love my church. I love the Lord. This campaign will work.' And it did. I always referred back to those words when it got challenging."
Parishioners react
Marilyn Wenninghoff, a parishioner at St. Bernard for 38 years, described the rededication ceremony as "beautiful and breath taking."
She was one of several members of the parish's funeral committee who prepared and organized the reception meal.
"The church needed so much work. Things were pealing, so I'm glad it's done," added parishioner Ruby Salerno, another funeral committee member.
This has been the second renovation that parishioners Barb and Bob Smejkal have experienced since joining the parish in 1962. They said the most recent refurbishment looks "very good" and a lot like the original.
"It is a much more prayerful atmosphere now," Barb Smejkal said. "It brings back the more traditional look of the church. We love it."
