Address: 562 17th Avenue, Columbus, NE 68601
Website: https://stanthonycolumbusne.org/
Overview
The neo-Gothic structure of the St. Anthony Catholic Church was dedicated on November 13, 1917 with a large ceremony presided over by the Most Reverend Archbishop J.J. Harty of Omaha. The interior of the church houses many sacred artifacts, and glows with radiance from golden-hued windows. The parish was founded in 1913 to serve the growing Polish community and the heritage is reflected in the sacred art of the church. The parish was one of many Catholic Churches around Columbus formed during the immigration wave of German, Polish, Czech and Irish settlers in the second half of the nineteenth century. Many of the churches were organized and built by Franciscan priests who came to the area in 1877. The one-hundred-plus year-old parish is a thriving place of worship, community and service – and home to St. Anthony Elementary School.
Special things to see in the Church
• A spectacular mural of the Ascension of Jesus in the sanctuary was painted by local artist Ardith Starostka as were the images of the saints over the stained glass windows. The faces of the Blessed Mother, the twelve apostles, St. Mary Magdalen and the angels are likenesses of parishioners, as are some of the images in the nave. These current faces illustrate the vibrancy of the faithful. Also in the church is a lovely painting of Jesus, the Good Shepherd by local artist Mary Abts Dodendorf.
• Paintings of Saints special to the Polish people adorn the side walls above the windows including: St. Stanislaus, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe and Our Lady of Czestochowa, and St. Maria Faustina Kowalska with the Divine Mercy image.
• The patron St. Anthony of Padua is depicted in three traditional statues located inside and outside of the church; along with a special painting of the great preaching Franciscan hanging in the back of the nave.
• The peaceful meditation chapel bears central image of the Infant Jesus of Prague (The More You Honor Me, The More Will I Bless You), flanked by images of St. Anthony, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Anne (and the young Virgin Mary), and St. Francis of Assisi. The colors of the four Gospel Evangelists shine in the stained glass windows.
Interesting Fact About the Church
Many of the churches in Platte County, Nebraska were organized and built by Franciscan priests who came to the area in 1877 under an agreement communicated by the Rev. Mauritius Klostermann, O.F.M. of the German Franciscans of Teutopolis, Illinois to the Vicar Apostolic Rt. Rev. James O’Connor in Omaha. The vicariate in Nebraska needed priests to serve the growing immigrant population and the Franciscans in Illinois received an abundance of priests (and candidates) emigrating from Germany due to the Kulturkampf (Cultural Struggle) – a 7-year (1871-1878) political conflict between the Catholic Church and the Kingdom of Prussia. The Franciscans were founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209 and spread throughout Europe before coming to the Americas in the 1500’s. The well-known Franciscan, St. Junipero Serra established numerous missions in California in the 1700’s.
Many of those early Franciscan churches around Columbus are still going strong today including: St. Bonaventure (Columbus), St. Francis (Humphrey), St. Michael (Tarnov), St. Joseph (Platte Center), Holy Family (Lindsay), St. Stanislaus (Duncan), and St. Anthony (Columbus).
