Saint Gerald

Pastoral Planning and Important Communications

St. Gerald Parish Strategic Plan

The Pastoral Council spent the past five years researching, engaging with the Archdiocese and the Parish at-large, and formulating the St. Gerald Parish Strategic Plan. It is our hope that this Plan will help guide each Ministry, Group, and Parishioner on how to use their gifts to fulfill the Mission and Vision of St. Gerald's.

Download the Strategic Plan (pdf)

Everyone in the parish was invited to a presentation of this plan on May 5, 2022. A video was taken that evening and can be viewed below in case you missed the presentation.

This page is an attempt to collect communications regarding pastoral planning, clarifications on decisions being made, and any other information of general interest that might be useful to parishioners at St. Gerald. In a world where there are so many platforms of communication available, it can be very easy to lose your place or feel disconnected from what is going on in our parish community. This page is a direct response to what we heard in the fall of 2019 listening sessions, and an attempt to consolidate important communications in one place. If you don't find the answers you are looking for here, please contact the parish office so that your question can be addressed. May God guide us to his desire for the wonderful community of St. Gerald. Many blessings on you!

Listening Session Follow Up Video


Listening Session Videos


Father Mark's Homily About Our New Vision and Mission

See the video of Father Mark's homily from August 2018 preached at all masses. This was a follow up for the entire parish to the leadership summit held in May. Following these homilies, this letter was sent out to the parish regarding the restructuring the Pastoral Council and the formation of the Servant Leadership Team.


New Vision and Mission for St. Gerald Parish

Vision:
Encountering Jesus · Making Disciples · Transforming Lives

Mission:
Led by the Holy Spirit, we are a Catholic community of faith whose primary purpose is to know Jesus, to love Him, and to serve Him in serving others. Sent to make disciples, we invite and welcome everyone to come and share our Master's joy.

We are witnessing an exciting moment in the history of our parish! On Monday, May 14, over one hundred parish staff and ministry leaders gathered the Fellowship Hall for the unveiling of our new vision and mission. During this time, Fr. Mark introduced the leadership team who helped him craft the new vision and mission statements.

The evening included prayer, praise and worship and small group discussions. Some attendees gave a short testimony on the spiritual renewal they have witnessed within our parish in recent times. Many found comfort in learning that our new vision and mission align with the Archbishop's vision and mission for the Archdiocese of Omaha.

The parish staff and ministry leaders are excited and anxious to get started on this great undertaking Fr. Mark has developed alongside his leadership team. Stay tuned as we continue to communicate our progress towards implementing this new vision and mission into the framework of our parish and all its ministries.

If you missed the leadership summit, please view the video taken that evening:

Our Christ Sculptures

For many years, the resurrected Christ was erected on the wall behind the main altar in the church, while the crucified Christ remained in storage, except for the season of Lent. After consulting with our parish council, several parishioners, and with the permission of Lou and Kathy D'Ercole, the donors of the resurrected Christ, it was decided to permanently erect both breath-taking sculptures in our church so that we all can enjoy their beauty year-round.

Many of us are old enough to remember that the "Mass" was commonly known as the "Holy Sacrifice of the Mass". At every Mass, the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary is renewed. It is one and the same sacrifice He made for us over two thousand years ago, and is now made present to us (sacramentally) on our altars. The only difference now is that His perpetual offering of Himself, in giving us His Body and Blood, is an unbloody sacrifice, but it is still the same sacrifice. We, on our part, and as His disciples, are there to unite our own sacrificial offering of ourselves with His sacrificial offering for the salvation of souls, including our own. That is why the Catholic Church has traditionally erected crucifixes in our sanctuaries near our altars. The crucifix is a beautiful reminder to all of us of the great mystery we are not only witnessing on our altars, but partaking of as well. And that is why, traditionally, the Church has always required that the crucified Christ be erected in our sanctuaries near the altar, even outside the celebration of the Mass (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, # 308). And, so, it was decided to permanently erect our crucified Lord behind the altar. Jesus' sacrificial offering of Himself is not merely a Lenten reality, but is a reality for all times and for all places. It is a reality we celebrate, not just during the season of Lent, but throughout the entire year every time we come to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The most appropriate place for the resurrected Christ, on the other hand, seemed to be in the narthex of the church. This joyful image of the resurrected Christ would still be very visible to us in our church, and it is a beautiful reminder of the mandate Jesus gave each us as He ascended to His Father and ours. And that mandate is to "go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. And that He would be with [us] always, until the end of the age" (Mt. 28:19-20).

Having both sculptures on permanent display also reminds us that we cannot have one without the other. As a disciple of Christ, we can only share in the glorious victory and joy of the Resurrection to the degree we are willing to share in His suffering and death. In other words, no cross, no glory! May the good Lord grant each of us a renewed love for the cross, and a greater courage to take it up with Him for the salvation of our souls and the souls of countless others! May our union with the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ lead each of us to the glory and unlimited joy of His resurrection! And may our risen Lord, crucified for our sins, bless each of us and your families in abundance!

Today's Mass Readings

Visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website and read or listen to today's mass readings.

Help Our Parish Educate

By purchasing gift certificates to various local vendors at no additional cost to you, you support our educational programs including 5 Day School, Family Formation, Youth Ministry, Adult Education, and the Parish Library. Click here to reserve your HOPE certificates online now.

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St. Gerald Athletics

Visit our sports pages for information on St. Gerald athletic programs and events. Soccer Registration Open

Bible Verse of the Day


Daily prayer is essential to our relationship with God. Click here for several resources to help you with contemplative prayer, following a daily bible plan, the rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, and more!

Update Your Information

The parish office maintains information on our registered parishioners. Please take a moment to submit your information so we can update our records. If you are not yet registered at St. Gerald, you are invited to register now.