During his 21 years as head of the archdiocese, Archbishop Bergan was known as the "building bishop" due to the physical growth and improvements of archdiocesan institutions. The total cost of Church-related construction between 1948 and 1969 amounted to well over $100 million.
Archbishop Bergan was also fond of reminding Omaha's secular authorities that the archdiocese was saving the state of Nebraska more than $10 million annually in school costs.
In 1959, the Archdiocese of Omaha celebrated its centennial the same year that Archbishop Bergan observed his 25th anniversary as a bishop.
In observance of the centennial, St. Cecilia Cathedral's twin towers were completed. Archbishop Bergan formally consecrated the cathedral on April 9, 1959.
After Archbishop Ryan's death in 1947, Bishop Gerald Thomas Bergan of Des Moines was named the second archbishop of Omaha.
