By Mary Kroner
For the Register
The intercession of St. Patrick is now represented in St. Michael Church in Hastings, as a result of a recent restoration of a statue connected with the history of the Catholic community in the area.
During the recent renovation of St. Michael’s interior, many statues were shifted around within the church, leaving space for new statues in the baptistry area.
John Reining, parishioner of St. Michael and member of the renovation committee, said the acquisition of the St. Patrick statue started when he asked pastor Father Jeremy Hazuka about adding a St. Anne and a St. Anthony statue in memory of his grandparents, Norbert and Bessie Reining, to the church.
Subsequently, St. Michael was offered a statue of St. Odilia, patron of the Crosier fathers who resided in Hastings for many years, from the Crosier monastery. St. Michael then had the opportunity to purchase a St. Cecilia statue at a bargain price, which again connected the church with its history and foundation from St. Cecilia Parish in Hastings.
Father Hazuka, pastor of St. Michael Parish, said he then looked into obtaining the St. Patrick statue that was originally located in St. Patrick Church in Highland Township just north of Hastings. The Crosier fathers also served St. Patrick Church, which closed in 1969.
“I saw this as an opportunity to highlight some of the history of the Hastings Catholic community through this ‘gallery of saints’ near the baptismal font,” Father Hazuka said.
Bob Murphy, former owner of Murphy’s Wagon Wheel, a restaurant and bar located in Hastings, received the statue of St. Patrick from the Crosier fathers, who had a close relationship with Murphy’s parents, Jim and Shirley Murphy.
Murphy said he was able to place the statue in his restaurant, under the condition that the statue be in an enclosure separate from the bar. That led to the creation of a display in the front window, which housed the St. Patrick statue for many years until the renovation of St. Michael Church.
“Bob Murphy was gracious enough to work out an arrangement with the parish to restore the St. Patrick statue and allow it to now stand at St. Michael’s,” Father Hazuka said.
The statue was restored by Nebraska Statue Painting and Restoration in Fairbury, and is now located in the St. Michael baptistry area.
“I think it is significant to have the statue in our baptistry area, not only for its relationship to the history of the area, but also because during the Order of Baptism, we recite the Litany of the Saints to pray for the person being baptized. I typically add the saints that surround us in the baptistry,” Father Hazuka said. “Baptism also incorporates us into the Church, and so we are not only united with the faithful here on earth, but also with the saints in heaven.”
