Southern Nebraska Register
St. Mary Parish in Orleans will celebrate 125 years of worship in the present stone church Dec. 10.
Bishop James Conley will celebrate Mass at 11 a.m. in the church. Concelebrants will include pastor Father Maurice Current and other priests, some of whom served the parish in the past.
Mass will be followed by a catered meal in the parish hall. Free-will offerings will be accepted. Those interested in attending the meal, should RSVP to Raylene at 308-991-6331 by Nov. 10.
The history of St. Mary Parish is steeped in pioneer heritage, as Catholics were among some of the earliest settlers in the Orleans vicinity. Orleans is a village in Harlan County, with a population of 345.
The first priest to celebrate Mass in Orleans was from Crete – more than 150 miles away – and he only came two to four times a year, from March 1874 until March 1878.
Lots were purchased in 1878, and a 24 x 50 frame church was built. Planks on kegs and boxes were used for pews. The altar consisted of a simple box covered with a strip of white linen, and a wooden cross was placed at the back of the altar. It was in this same year that the parish of St. Mary was established.
In May of 1895, Father Harrington was appointed as the ninth pastor of the parish, and during his pastorate the construction of the present stone church began.
The stones for the footing and the foundation of the church came from a quarry near Woodruff, Kan., and men of the parish hauled them with their teams and wagons. The beautiful lava rock used for the rest of the church came from Colorado. The completed church, with a 100-foot-high steeple, was dedicated Dec. 8, 1898.
Father John E. Hahn, known among his brother priests of the Lincoln Diocese as “the Patriarch of the West,” served as pastor in Orleans for 46 years beginning in 1908. Under his guidance, a new rectory (1917) and a Catholic school (1919) were built.
The Catholic school educated the children of St. Mary Parish under the direction of the Ursuline Sisters of York, until its closing in 1940. The school hall is still used today for active parish organizations including children’s CCD and CYO classes, the Knights of Columbus, and the Altar Society. It also serves as the parish fellowship hall.
St. Mary Church has undergone several renovations throughout the years and remains a historical place of worship with beautiful stained-glass windows, statuary, an elaborate high altar, and stations of the cross.
But St. Mary Parish is much more to parishioners.
“St. Mary’s is home,” said parishioner Jennifer Luther. She and her husband Roger were married in the church 50 years ago, in August 1973. Their children were all baptized and confirmed in the church, and funerals for Roger’s parents and grandparents were held there.
“It’s such a joy and a blessing to celebrate with people on the happiest days of their lives and comfort them on the saddest and most tragic days, as they have done for you,” Jennifer said.
“We work together – the fish fries, fall dinners and cleaning the buildings and grounds – and we play together, at coffee and rolls, Easter brunch, and KC stags. Our time, talent, and treasure have been donated so the church can be renovated and kept ready to serve us for another 100 years. We are blessed to have known and loved the people and places of St. Mary’s for over 50 years and we look forward to many more.”
Fellow parishioner Susan Biskup agreed. She too was married at St. Mary Church, in 1978.
“Our five children received their sacraments at St. Mary’s and two of our children were married in our beautiful church. Our 20-year-old son’s funeral Mass was at St. Mary’s church. On our 40th wedding anniversary my husband and I renewed our wedding vows at St. Mary’s. These Masses will always be remembered.”
Biskup also expressed gratitude for those who have served the parish.
“Formation of our faith begins at home,” she said, “but has been enhanced by many of our priests at St. Mary’s who have held weekly Bible Studies over the years. Our CCD and CYO teachers have been instrumental in the formation of the children….
“This church has been an integral part of our lives,” she said.
She added that the recent – and ongoing – renovation of the church was particularly edifying.
She related, “a visitor once exclaimed as he entered our newly renovated church for the first time, ‘What a gem in the countryside!’
“It is true we have a gem,” she said. “Walking through the doors and into St. Mary’s Church feels like coming back home.”
Bridget Hoxmeier contributed to this report
Courtesy photos
