History

Birth of St. Mary's of the Seven Dolors



The history of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Osmond goes back to 1892 when Monsignor John Vranek, resident priest at Creighton, Nebr., began the organization of a congregation as St. Mary's Mission. In September the construction of a frame church was begun with the structure facing south on the lot where the Catholic school now stands.

The following families took an active part in the erection of that first church: Leonard Schmitz Sr., Henry Billerbeck, George Luebbers Sr., Mrs. Wm. Hutfless, Jack Zuercher and the Martini family; also the MacHenry and Dedlow families of Plainview.

The first church service was administered by Father Vranek of Creighton. 

Under Jurisdiction of Randolph Parish

After two years, Father Vranek was succeeded by Father Joseph Mazourek, who served from 1895 to May, 1897. After that time, Osmond was under the jurisdiction of the Randolph parish and Fathers Albert Hork and Casimir Renner of Randolph assumed charge until 1900. At that time the Rev. John McNamara, a native of Wisner, was assigned to St. Andrew's Church at Bloomfield and also to serve St. Mary's Mission at Osmond.

Rectory is Constructed

In 1903 St. Mary's rectory was built north of the relocated church, under the supervision of Father McNamara and was completed in the spring of 1904. 

In July of 1904 St. Mary's Mission was organized into a parish and received its first resident pastor, Father Ferdinand Peitz. At this time there were about 27 Catholic families under his care.

Young Priest Is First Pastor

Father Peitz was a young man, having been ordained only five years before being assigned to St. Mary's.

Parish "Firsts"

The first baptism on record in St. Mary's parish was celebrated on July 31, 1904, that of John Bessmer, son of Joseph and Josephine Bessmer. He was the brother of Mrs. Emma Haselhorst, one of St. Mary's parishioners at the present time. The first funeral was that of Theodore Goeres, on October 10, 1904. He was the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Goeres Sr. The first couple united in the sacrament of Matrimony was Rosalie Trieweiler and John Besch on February 11, 1905. On June 18, 1905, Father Peitz administered First Communion to a class of 12 young boys and girls: Charles Banish, Paul Becker, Andrew Book, Charles Koenig, Michael Korth, Benedict Schmitz, Annie Goeres, Margaret Luebbers, Annie O'Brien, Gertrude Peitzmeier, Margaret Trieweiler and Mable Welch. Acting as angels leading the communicants in procession to the Lord's table were Mamie Marek and Gertrude Billerbeck.

Next Comes Horse Barn

In 1905 a large barn was built east of the church. It would accommodate 18 teams of horses. People left their horses in the barn while attending church. It was later used by the children who drove horses to school to keep the animals in during the day.

Just east of the rectory stood a smaller barn in which Father Peitz kept his team and buggy. The large barn was used as late as 1931 but was razed in the late 30s. The smaller barn was not sold or moved out until January, 1959. 

On May 22, 1907, Bishop Scannell of Omaha confirmed a class of 40, the first confirmation class of the new parish.

The largest class ever confirmed at St. Mary's was a class of 106, confirmed on October 3, 1938. 

In September, 1909, the project of building a more substantial church building was taken up by Father Peitz and the people of St. Mary's. To obtain a suitable building site, a half-block with two sets of buildings was purchased and cleared for the erection of a new church.

The lots on which the church is located were purchased from the late Minnie Melcher after the death of her husband, Henry. Purchase price for the three lots was $3000. The Melchers were the maternal grandparents of Miss Adeline Calundan of Good Samaritan Center at Bloomfield and Mrs. Esther Cummins of Creighton Care Center, both former Osmond residents. One lot was purchased from Bertha Weingartner, grandmother of Mrs. Orpheus Erwin of Osmond. Other lots on which property of the church is located were purchased from Pacific Town Site Company which developed the budding Osmond community. 

Surpassed by None in Northeast Nebraska

Excavation for the new church began in the fall of that year and in the spring of 1911 the erection of the $30,000 building was started by Anto Zwarck, contractor from Dubuque, Ia.



The frescoing and oil paintings were done by Joseph Walter of Dubuque, la. The building was 50 by 106 feet and the tower was 106 feet high. The building was Buffalo paving brick trimmed in Bedford stone. The interior was in harmony of soft colors and was surpassed by none in Northeast Nebraska. The seating capacity provided for 400 with room for an additional 200. 

The congregation next went in procession to the new church with songs chanted by pilgrims centuries ago filling the air. Then the cornerstone was blessed and laid. In it was placed a metal box containing the history of the parish, the names of its present members and contributors to the new church, the name of the present Pope, the diocesan bishop, the present pastor, the President of the United States; also a copy of "The Osmond Republican" and coins of the current money. When and by whom this box would be opened were naturally the thoughts as the box was enclosed into the stone. Upon conclusion of the ceremony, a short sermon in English was preached by officiating Bishop Garigan. The congregation returned in procession to the old church where, in conclusion, a hymn of thanksgiving was sung.

Dedication

The church was completed in the fall of 1911 but was not put into use until the following spring when it was dedicated on May 22, 1912. The services were conducted by Bishop Tihen of Lincoln with about 25 priests in attendance. This event was the occasion for a great celebration among the people of the parish. After the ceremony, the large crowd entered the new church filling both main floor and gallery. Rev. F. H. Korte gave a sermon in German. Bishop Tihen then preached the English sermon. His text was taken from the old story of Jacob and was entitled "Truly This Is the House of God, the Gateway to Heaven." "God does not need churches," said Bishop Tihen, "but we need them." Christianity and churches cannot be separated and a community strong in faith usually shows it by the edifices it erects. St. Mary's Church in this place stands as a monument to the unity of purpose and sacrifice of pastor and congregation.

During the noon hour, dinner was served in the hall and in the afternoon a program was given there. Vespers were held in the evening after which Dean Ruesing delivered the lecture on "The Social Question." This talk was a fitting close for the day that was long remembered by members of St. Mary's parish. The old church was converted from a house of worship to a parish hall known as Forester Hall. 

Assistant Priests at Osmond

Due to the fact that the missions of Plainview and Brunswick were taken care of by Osmond pastors, several assistants were appointed to serve under Father Peitz. These were Rev. Herman Stahl, Father John Thoenissen, Father Francis Schapp, Felix Gebauer and Joseph Hundt.

Father Buerger Becomes Pastor

The hard working Father Peitz was not to enjoy the fruits of his labors for long, for in the spring of the next year (1913) he was transferred to the Randolph parish and Rev. William Buerger was appointed pastor at St. Mary's in April, 1913.

Father Buerger was here for only a year and a half during which time an addition was built to the east side of the parish house.

Father Krings Here 17 Years

In October, 1914, The Rev. Ferdinand Krings was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Church. Under his leadership the entire church debt was paid off and a new pipe organ was installed in the church. During his pastorate of 17 years, the parish had increased to about 118 families. In the education and church musical line he was always a leader and showed much interest.

Early minor redecoration project: In 1924 part of the Sanctuary was repainted; pulpit moved to the west wall; four statues added: Sacred Heart, Little Flower, Infant Jesus and Pieta. (The Pieta was a gift to St. Mary's in the early 1900's. It was moved from the old church when the new one was completed and was placed originally about where it is today. In the 1924 redecoration, it was moved to a more prominent place near the Sanctuary.)

"If It's the Last Thing I Do!"

One of Father Stahl's most determined efforts was the installation of stained glass windows in the church. Since the church's construction, windows were the opaque glass type, installed by the contractor. Father considered these unfitting for a house of worship and indicated that "if it was the last thing he did" he would have stained glass windows installed. To carry out his project, Father contacted members of the parish for contributions toward window purchase and installation. The venture was successful and names of those donating are inscribed on the windows throughout the church. They were installed in 1948. The opaque windows are still in use, serving as exterior protective glass for the windows.

50 Years of Service to God

On June 24, 1954, the 50th anniversary of the founding of St. Mary's Church was held. Presiding at a 9:30 Jubilee High Mass, at which Osmond native Rev. Edward Schad was the celebrant, was Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan of Omaha. The Rev. Bernard Westerman of Crofton delivered the sermon and the Archbishop addressed a capacity attendance after the church ceremonies. Father Herman Stahl, St. Mary's pastor, along with other priests, assisted at the Mass. The music of a widely reorganized choir at the Mass and during the dinner hour was the subject of favorable comment.

More than 300 persons were present at a parish dinner served by the Catholic Ladies Guild in the church basement. Twenty-nine priests and many Catholic nuns attended the golden jubilee festivities.

Three hundred 20-page booklets were printed for the event. They were edited by Miss Catherine Goeres of Osmond and contained many late and early day pictures of the parish.

In the fall of 1958 Father Stahl announced that he would retire from his duties as a parish priest here in Osmond.

Father Vogel Here Two Months

On Sep. 4, 1958, the Rev. John Vogel was appointed pastor of St. Mary's. He had been pastor of St. Henry Church near Howells, Neb. Father Vogel had served at St. Mary's less than three months when he died of an apparent heart attack on Nov. 5, 1958.

Father Lordemann - Major Improvements

Rev. William F. Lordemann, pastor at Emerson, Neb., was appointed to the Osmond parish by Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan of Omaha and arrived in Osmond on Dec. 4, 1958. During his pastorate, many improvements and new buildings were completed. Frame buildings to the east were sold at auction. The entire outside of the church was tuck pointed and caulked the most extensive repair project since the building of the church and a new roof was put on the church replacing the slate roof with asphalt roofing.

On Dec. 20, 1960, a new electronic organ was presented to St. Mary's Church in memory of the late Noah and Mary Green, a gift of the Rice family.

New Convent and Rectory Constructed

In July, 1964, a multi-thousand dollar building project was announced. The expansion and building project was to include a new convent for housing the Sisters teaching at St. Mary's School, and a new rectory to replace the two story frame structure in use for more than 60 years. The former church, used as a parish hall, was razed in the fall of 1964 to make room for the new convent.

On Sunday, Aug. 1, 1965, open house was held at the new rectory. Dedication of the convent was held on May 19, 1966. Daniel E. Sheehan, Auxiliary Bishop of Omaha, officiated at the ceremonies.

The Osmond community was saddened by the sudden death of Father Lordemann on Jan. 18, 1967, when it was learned that he passed away of an apparent heart attack while vacationing in Phoenix, Az. Father Liborius Morgenschweis took over duties at St. Mary's until a permanent pastor was appointed.

Father Bartek Appointed Pastor

On Feb. 9, 1967, Father James Bartek, who was serving the Lynch, Neb., parish, was appointed to serve St. Mary's. He was officially installed on Feb. 9, 1967, by the Very Rev. Charles Oborny of Verdigre who was dean of the Creighton Deanery of which Osmond at that time was a part.

Deanery Structure Changes

Osmond St. Mary's was initially assigned to the Creighton Deanery. Other churches in this group were Bloomfield, Brunswick, Creighton, Crofton, Niobrara, Plainview and Verdigre. The deanery structure in the Archdiocese was revised in 1970. The Rural North Central Deanery at present includes the parishes of Belden, Bloomfield, Bow Valley, Coleridge, Constance, Crofton, Dixon, Fordyce, Hartington, Laurel, Menominee, Osmond, Randolph, St. Helena, St. James and Wynot.

Redecoration Project Completed

During Father Bartek's 8 1⁄2 years as pastor, the church was completely rewired. In addition, the sanctuary portion of the church was redesigned and the entire interior redecorated. On Sunday, Nov. 24, 1974, a Mass of Thanksgiving was offered by Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan to mark the completion of the newly redesigned church interior. The work was done by Schettler Studios of Carroll, IA. The Blessed Sacrament was brought closer to the worshiping community, with the altar of repose moved to the front right of the sanctuary and the altar of sacrifice to the forward half of the sanctuary center. The presidential chair was placed beneath a large, beautifully detailed mission crucifix, while a statue of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth was placed next to a figure of St. Joseph holding the Child Jesus to form a Holy Family grouping.

Sisters Mark Centennial

After the Mass of Thanksgiving a reception, with St. Mary's Guild members as hostesses, was held in the church basement to mark the centennial of the School Sisters of St. Francis who have staffed the parish elementary school since it opened in 1906. The Sisters renewed their vows before the congregation and, with hands extended, sang the "Blessing of St. Francis" over those present.

Interior after 1974 redecorating features soft green and gold tones and new sanctuary arrangement to implement Vatican II changes.

The Bluefields Barrels Early in the 1970s

St. Mary's parish adopted a sister parish in Bluefields, Nicaragua – a small country which juts out into the Gulf of Mexico north of the Panama Canal and is one of the poorest countries in the world.

So it was that the Osmond parish, along with churches of all denominations in Northeast Nebraska, filled steel barrels with clothing, shoes, tools, medical supplies and selected food items to be sent to the poor. Two large church bells were also crated and shipped to be used on church towers in the Central America country.

All barrels were sealed and were shipped out of Osmond by trucks or U-hauls and driven by local parishioners to New Orleans or other southern ports. Here they were loaded onto outgoing empty banana boats to make the final leg of the journey to Nicaragua. One shipment was sponsored by the National Farmers Organization. It was loaded on a barge at Nebraska City and shipped down the river, courtesy of this farm organization.

Upon arrival in Nicaragua, Father Robert Spader, a native of Randolph, distributed the goods to Indian natives in and around some 40 mission stations.

Father Bartek described the whole operation as an ecumenical movement wherein the people of many churches in many towns helped the poverty stricken in another country who were unable to help themselves. Many kind hearted people of St. Mary's parish paid all the expenses of transportation to the southern ports. Father Bartek blessed the cargo before it left the Osmond church parking lot, praying for the safe journey for both men and trucks.

The last truck load of barrels was delivered to Brownsville, Tex., in early 1976 to await shipment to the mission. Since that time government regulations have prohibited the shipment of more supplies. It is estimated that nearly 400 barrels were sent to the mission.

Men and women active in the shipment and driving of the trucks to southern ports were Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Gubbels, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Stech, Richard Gubbels and John Borgmann of Osmond and Melvin Spader of Randolph.

In June, 1975, Father Bartek was transferred to St. Adalbert's Church in Omaha. A farewell reception was given Father Bartek by St. Mary's Parish Council and Guild. Also honored at this time was Miss Helen Lordemann who had served as housekeeper at the parish rectory for 161⁄2 years.

Father Kaup from Albion to Osmond

Rev. Conrad Kaup, pastor of St. Michael's Catholic Church at Albion, assumed duties as pastor of St. Mary's on June 12, 1975. During his pastorate, new padded kneelers, a gift to the parish, were installed in the church. The cemetery was enlarged, with this made possible by a donation for that purpose.

In July of 1977 Father Kaup requested and received a leave of absence from duties at St. Mary's. A supply pastor, Father Henry Huber from Elkhorn, took over until an administrator could be appointed.

Father Joe, Benedictine Monk, Named Administrator

In October of 1977 Father Joseph Peters, O.S.B., of Mount Michael Abbey at Elkhorn assumed duties as administrator of St. Mary's. Known to many parishioners and persons in the community as "Father Joe," he celebrated the silver jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood on April 25, 1978. He was honored at an open house in Osmond on May 21 in St. Mary's Church basement.

Nuns Note 60 Year Jubilees

At the same time Sister Austina, O.S.F., and Sister Ursella, O.S.F., observed the 60th anniversary of the profession of their vows as School Sisters of St. Francis. All were honored with the very best wishes of the parishioners.

Father Dan Welcomed as Pastor

On June 15, 1978, St. Mary's welcomed a new pastor Father Daniel F. Soltys who came here from St. Joseph's Church at Ponca. Installation ceremonies were conducted on July 20. A parish pot luck supper preceded the 8:30 p.m. concelebrated Mass in which 18 priests participated. This marked the formal installation of Father Dan as pastor of St. Mary's. Father Roland Peschel of St. Frances de Chantel parish at Randolph was named by the Archbishop to preside at the installation ceremony.

Steeple Repainted - New Fence at Cemetery

During the week of July 17, Father Dan supervised the painting of the church steeple and cross by a professional steeplejack, Richard Olson of Clarks. In August, 1978, a new chain link fence and gates were installed at St. Mary's Cemetery

Diamond Jubilee Book Published

On August 7, 1978, Father and a group of St. Mary's parishioners began work compiling a booklet for the diamond jubilee observance of St. Mary's Church which was scheduled for June 24, 1979. Eight persons comprised the planning committee for the book as well as celebration-related activities. Their duties included: Father Dan, coordinating general arrangements and in charge of Liturgy; Bob and Pat Kratochvil, dinner and program; Catherine Goeres, history research and writing; Mrs. John P. Theisen, finances; Mrs. Albert Sukup, correspondence; Charles Sukup, photography; Mrs. Don Blecha, book make-up and design. Whether they verbally volunteered or not, spouses of committee members found themselves involved and helped immensely with the project. The committee wishes to thank Duane and Mary Jane Weber of the Osmond Republican for all the "extras" in time and suggestions in helping to produce this jubilee book.

Groups Create Banners

For an added festive touch, organizations and youths in the parish designed banners to be used in the church throughout the anniversary observance season. Each had a different theme with some recalling past history, others the present, and still others the future. Designing the nine banners were Catholic Ladies Guild, St. Joseph Court Catholic Order of Foresters, National Catholic Society of Foresters, Junior Catholic Order of Foresters, Fifth and Sixth Grade Classes, and the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Classes.

Parish Effort

Other persons volunteered their services for the anniversary arrangements - donation collecting: Mrs. James D. Rice, Mrs. Kenneth Clayton, Mrs. Francis Liewer, Mrs. Marie Hoffman, Mrs. Donald Theisen; decorations and ticket sales: Mr. and Mrs. Ray Goeres, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Schmit, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Morfeld and Mrs. Gordon Kumm; table set up: COF. Mrs. Dwaine Hoffman coordinated themes of banners made for the occasion. In the make-up and design department Mrs. Duane Weber and Mrs. Dan Weeder assisted. Sister Agatha Marie coordinated music for the liturgy as well as the concert which took place before the 2 p.m. Mass. Piloting the plane for aerial pictures of the church grounds and cemetery was Rod Ronspies.

In addition to these individuals whom we have named, there are the countless ones who sorted through boxes and boxes of pictures, answered numberless questions and cooperated at several interviews to help make this booklet complete. To all of them Father Dan and the committee are sincerely grateful. It is through this cooperation that the effort resulted in a beautiful day of celebration with a complete booklet of history in thanking God for these 75 wonderful years St. Mary's at Osmond has enjoyed.

(A Time of Remembrance, St. Mary of the Seven Dolors Catholic Church, Osmond, Nebraska 1904-1979, p. 8-16)

Father Lukes, along with his parishioners, see a growing and thriving parish. They face the 1990s with continued strength and vigor. Today the parish consists of more than 200 families and individuals. St. Mary's reflects on the faith of our early pioneers who helped to make the parish, the church and the school a real part of our lives.

In 1997 a campaign, called "Our Next Century of Faith" was organized to raise $1 million to remodel the church, build a new school and start an endowment fund. Church renovation followed the fund-raising and ground was broken for the new school on October 7, 2001. While the church renovations took place, Mass was held in the church basement for a few months. St. Mary's School was completed for the new school year in August of 2002. It is located where the frame church stood. The upper level is classrooms and the lower level has a library with meeting rooms, kitchen and parish center. On completion of the new school, the old school building was demolished in December 2003. The parish was able to complete the projects debt-free, thanks to "Our Next Century of Faith" program.

In 1999, St. Mary's began sharing priests with neighboring parishes. In the past, Plainview St. Paul's and Bloomfield St. Andrew's were involved. Now, the same pastor serves St. Mary's and St. Jane Frances de Chantal congregation at Randolph.

In 2006, a celebration was held, marking the 100th anniversary of St. Mary's School. A parish celebration took place in 2012, noting the 100th anniversary of the current church.

A parking lot was installed where the first school was located, an electronic organ was a gift to the parish in 2014 and other improvements made as needed. 

(Osmond, Nebraska Q125, 1890-2015, p. 107-108, 119)