The 1990’s saw major changes to the interior of the church. The idea for renovation was initially conceived as a project to repaint and replace the carpet. Instead, a full-blown renovation of the entire interior was undertaken. To help with the renovation, Brother William Woeger of the Archdiocese of Omaha was consulted. Brother Woeger is well known as a Liturgical Consultant and designer and has taken part in the restoration and redesign of many churches in the area and across the country.
When Brother Woeger began to redesign the interior of St. Patrick’s he had three key themes he wanted to retain and build upon, “preservation, restoration, and renovation.” The renovations included the opening of rooms on either side of the altar, one that holds the Blessed Sacrament, the other as a Reconciliation room. The original confessionals from the back of the church were then removed allowing more room in the entry of the church. The cry room in the back of the church was also removed and replaced with a vesting sacristy. A new crucifix replaced the wooden one that was built in the 1970’s.
The new icon was painted by Brother William Woeger himself. Brother Woeger’s idea was to capture the Icon of Jesus found in the Book of Kells, one of the best known decorated manuscripts produced by Celtic monks around the year 800 AD. The altar space was moved out further towards the congregation. This forced the removal of some front seating but it also allowed for the congregation to be more of a part in the celebration of the liturgy. A ramp was also constructed to the altar welcoming all to God’s table. A new baptismal font was permanently placed in the back of the church using the same cobblestone found on the outside of the church and rectory. To complete the vision of Brother Woeger, the church hired the architect firm, RDG Schutte Wilscam Birge, and Andersen Construction Company. The project began on July 15, 1994, and was estimated to have cost nearly $300,000.00. With the final project complete, the church could hold 370 people.
During the renovation process, parishioners would come in after construction projects had been completed for the week and clean the church as best they could and set up folding chairs. A temporary altar was also setup. Following the weekend services, parishioners would take down what they set up so that construction could continue during the week. Funerals and weddings during the construction were held at the other three local parishes in town.
When Msgr. Pfeffer left in 1996, Msgr. Edward Kelly replaced him and presided until his retirement in 1999. Fr. John O. Bertogli came to St. Patrick’s in July of 1999 and stayed until July of 2005. At this point in our history, we had 1035 registered families as part of the parish. Fr. Frank Cordero (1992-1995), and Fr. Raphael Masabakhawa (1995-2003) were associate pastors in the 90’s.
