Bringing Christianity to the wild, uncharted lands west of the American Colonies took more than courage. It took unwavering faith. Bellevue, the “Plymouth Rock of Nebraska,” saw Catholicism take root in 1823 with the arrival of fur trader Peter Sarpy. Bellevue, an important trading post on the Missouri River, would have the first organized Catholic Church in the area — St. Mark’s parish — on April 25, 1921. Later, its name would change to St. Mary’s to honor the Queen of Heaven. With this book, the parish celebrates those dauntless pioneer priests, Columban Fathers and Dominican Sisters who followed in the 1930s and ‘40s as St. Mary’s came into its own. Through the decades, the parish has welcomed families from the area and all branches of the military as well as refugees and immigrants worldwide.
Hardcover, 160 pages. Published, October 2021. $25.00. Designed by Christine Zueck-Watkins. Printed by Walsworth Publishing Co. Published by the Omaha World-Herald. ISBN: 978-1-7345923-7-5
