St. Michael's Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Tarnov, Nebraska, within the

Archdiocese of Omaha The Archdiocese of Omaha ( la, Archidioecesis Omahensis) is Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its current archbishop, George Joseph Lucas, was installed in Omaha on July 22, 2009. The ar ...

. It is noted for its historic church, located at 309 3rd Street and completed in 1901, and its adjacent cemetery, platted in 1880.

Polish immigrants Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screen ...

arrived in the area in the late 1870s, and petitioned the bishop for a church in 1880, preceding the establishment of the town. The arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad spurred the village's growth, leading to the need for a new church. Planning for a new church began in December 1899 under Fr. A. Czech, O.F.M., on land donated by Frank and Sophia Paprocki, originally of Tarnov, Poland (then part of Austrian Galicia). The new church was designed in the

Gothic Revival style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

by another Franciscan, Br, Leonard Dorschied, O.F.M. Construction began in 1900 and was completed in 1901. With The cost of $17,000 had been held down by the contribution of unskilled labor by parishioners, as well as through the use of brick and lumber from the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, delivered by train. Limestone for the foundation was transported from a quarry near Florence, Kansas, and sand was brought in from the Loup River, 20 miles to the south. The new church has a tall tower and steeple, with two bells weighing and . In the fall of 1910, the parish constructed a new

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

, school- convent, and chicken house. The school remained in operation until 1961. The church has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 28, 1990. The complex includes a grotto built in 1926-27 designed by

Charles Wurdeman Charles H. Wurdeman (1871-1961) was an architect and builder based in Columbus, Nebraska. Several of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Life Wurdeman was born in Sherman Township, Platte County, Nebraska, on ...

References

Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska National Register of Historic Places in Platte County, Nebraska Gothic Revival architecture in Nebraska Churches completed in 1901 1880 establishments in Nebraska Religious organizations established in 1880 Polish-American culture in Nebraska Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha {{Nebraska-NRHP-stub