A History of St. John’s Catholic Parish

19th century, 20th century, 21st century, Architects, Architecture, Buildings, Catholics, Creighton University, historic preservation, Near North Side, North 24th Street, Segregation, Wealth

A History of St. John’s Catholic Parish

This is a history of St. John’s Catholic Parish in North Omaha, Nebraska, including its K-12 school.

Adam Fletcher Sasse

December 3

2 minutes

North Omaha has been home to several Catholic parishes. However, one church had to fight for its standing, challenge white flight and continue its push into the future throughout its existence. This is a history of St. John’s Catholic Church in North Omaha.

Dedicated in 1888, St. John’s was designed by a local architect named P. J. Creedon in the English Gothic Revival style. Originally, priests involved at Creighton worked at Holy Family Church, which was just a few blocks from the campus. However, the Creighton family’s commitment to their college led to the construction of St. John’s Collegiate Chapel.

Unfortunately though, the building was only half-completed and was dedicated wrong, too, named in honor of John the Evangelist instead of John the Baptist, who was John A. Creighton’s patron saint.

Regardless, St. John’s served as a center for worship for the most influential and wealthy Catholics in the city. In 1897, the church became a parish, and expanded greatly in 1920, 1922, and 1977. Standing next to Creighton Hall, the two buildings were interconnected by a raised, covered bridge around 1902.

Today, the building has been completed, and the parish is open to members from across the city, as well as students from around the world who attend the university.

St. John’s School

St. John's Catholic School, N. 30th and California Streets, North Omaha, Nebraska — St. John’s School was a K-12 school built in 1901 and closed in 1968. It was located at North 30th and California Streets.

St. John’s School opened in 1897 when the chapel formally became a parish. Operated by the Sisters of Mercy, St. John’s School got a new building at 2507 California Street in 1901, with a major addition 10 years later in 1911. St. John’s High School started operating in the same building that year as a girls school. In 1955, the high school closed, and in 1968 the grade school was closed permanently. The building was demolished soon afterward.

After it was closed, the school was renamed Bergan Hall and became home to the university office of public relations and alumni, the university’s foundation, a counseling center and offices for the faculty of the department of education. It was demolished in 1975 to make room for the Kiewit Physical Fitness Center.

The Parish Today

The church is in good condition today. It is included in a proposed Creighton University Historic District, but as of December 2019, it hasn’t been listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as an official Omaha Landmark by the City of Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission.

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Elsewhere Online

“History of St. John’s” from St. John’s official website
“Timeline” from St. John’s official website
“St. John’s Parish” on Wikipedia

Discover more from NorthOmahaHistory.com—People, places and events from the history of North Omaha, Nebraska by Adam Fletcher Sasse

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8 responses to “A History of St. John’s Catholic Parish”

God’s Geological/ Astrophysical Math Signs

December 5, 2019 at 6:08 am

What a handsome building. They knew how to design back then, in looks, materials, and environmentally. I hope it still has the original windows.

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Bridget Kemling

December 31, 2019 at 3:45 am

My grandparents ( both sides) my.folks were married there. My mom & dad went to school there . It was the family church until the interstate took all the homes around the church.

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Stephen e. Enochs

January 20, 2020 at 4:49 am

I was one of the 8 to graduate from St. JOHNS IN 1968….

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1. Trudy Perrone
  
  September 12, 2022 at 12:33 pm
  
  My brother and I graduated from St. John grade school in in 1951. There were 40 in our class, a nice even 20 boy and 20 girls. I have good memories of my years there.
  
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Rick Philbin

March 18, 2021 at 6:24 am

I was there,remember you from the boy scouts and cub scouts. You lived on 24th,up the street from Joseph’s hardware store.

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Mimi Amondsen Coffman

July 29, 2022 at 1:07 am

My mother, Virginia Hogan, went to school here, and was the winner of the 1929 National Spelling Bee, representing St John’s . There was no school the day she returned from Washington to arousing welcome at the railroad station.

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1. Trudy Perrone
  
  September 12, 2022 at 12:40 pm
  
  A few years ago I read the news paper article about your mother’s spelling bee win.That was huge for Omaha and St John’s.Loved going to school there with all the activity going on from the grade school, two high schools and the University.
  
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Niles Hansen

July 29, 2023 at 11:55 am

I attended from 1951 to 1957. Wish I could find out more of the school it’s history and archives. Fond memories. Maybe there is an alumni association somewhere. Felt the presence and loyalty to both CU and Prep

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