Omaha, NE: St. Adalbert Parish

St. Adalbert Church was founded in Omaha in 1916 when 40 Czech families petitioned the Omaha Archbishop for permission, and had as its first pastor Father Leopold Blaschko, who physically worked alongside his parishioners to build a school building with a church in the basement (used until the current church building was constructed in the 1950s).

In 1926, Father Blaschko turned his tireless energy to improving the grounds (at the northwest corner of 30th & Wright), as described in a newspaper article accompanied by the above photo:

When you stand back and survey your summer’s work, what do you see? Can it compare with that of the Rev. Leopold Blaschko, pictured here! Laying aside his priestly robes and putting on overalls, the Rev. Mr. Blaschko, pastor of St. Adelbert’a parish, turned the sod for a garden last April. With his own hands he built a fountain and a grotto. He hauled the stones. He mixed the cement. He laid block on block in a design all his own. He planted, watered and weeded his flowers.

Each morning, garbed in black, he said the 6 o’clock mass. Then he changed to khaki work clothes and went at his self-appointed task of -glorifying God by a beautiful garden. And September saw his plot between Gold and Wright streets, on Thirtieth, a delight to every eye. The outside border of his garden is profusely zinnias. Next comes an inner fringe of sweet smelling petunias. Large beds of scarlet salvia and roses border the broad fountain pool, ever blooming where red, yellow, pink and white rose-streaked water lilies bloom.

The fountain and the cross-tipped grotto are made of red boulders from Lake Champlain. They are to be electrically lighted. A statue of Our Lady of Lourdes will be placed in the upper niche of the grotto. A smaller grotto will be built facing it for a statue of Bernadette. “This first large, grotto is one of four which I planned for my garden,” said the Rev. Mr. Blaschko. “Each is to be a shrine to a different saint. Perhaps I can complete my garden this summer.” The Omaha Daily News, Sep 12, 1926

Tragically, Father Blaschko was not able to complete his garden and other three grottos. The following March:

REV. BLASCHKO SINKING; SISTER IS AT BEDSIDE Priest May Never See the Completion of Grotto He Built at Church: In a corner of the parish yard of St. Adalbert’s Catholic church stands an artistically wrought grotto of natural stone, complete except for a marble statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Rev. Leopold Blaschko, builder of the grotto, lies critically ill at St. Joseph’s hospital, and may never live to see his handiwork completed.

Sunday night Father Blaschko was reported to be sinking, after a two weeks’ illness. Since St. Adalbert’s parish was organized in 1918, Father Blaschko has been in charge, and his parishioners relate how strenuously he has worked, often in overalls, in building the church and school. The grotto is his own handiwork. “‘The grotto has been finished over a year. I do not think the statue has yet been ordered,” said Miss Mary Hamik, a cousin of Father Blaschko…. His mother, two sisters and a brother, live in Czechoslovakia. Omaha World-Herald, Mar 7, 1927

And less than two weeks later newspapers reported that Father Blaschko on March 17, 1927 succumbed to his illness:

PRIEST, BUILDER OF GROTTO, DIES Rev. Leopold Blaschko, Bohemian Pastor, Succumbs to Illness: Rev. Leopold Blaschko, pastor of St. Adelbert church, Thirtieth and Gold streets, died Thursday night at 6:30 at St. Joseph hospital following a short illness. An aunt, Mrs. Ignatius Hamik of Stuart, Neb., is the only survivor living in this country. His mother, two sisters and a brother reside in Bohemia.

Since 1918, when he took charge of St. Adelbert church, Father Blaschko was an active worker in Omaha Bohemian circles. His life ambition was to build four grottos in the garden at the church, but his life span was cut short when but one of the grottos been constructed. This one grotto Blaschko built by working himself from 7 in the morning until sundown to complete it. Each morning, after 8 o’clock mass, he could be found in the church garden, busily at work. His plan was to dedicate each grotto to a different saint.

Failing to raise $608 necessary for the completion of a Bohemian school some time ago, Father Blaschko called for volunteer workers. By working from 2 in the afternoon until the close of day the workers were able to complete the building. The Omaha Evening Bee-News, Mar 18, 1927

Father Blaschko’s parishioners completed his grotto and obtained a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes for it. The grotto was dedicated on Sunday, June 3, 1928.

The article about its dedication shown here described the grotto:

The grotto, of rough stone, typifies the story of the vision of St. Bernardette as she beheld the Lady of Lourdes. Father Blaschko, who organized the parish 10 years ago, was working on this grotto just prior to his death in the spring of 1926. It has been completed by Steve Meidlinger, a mason of the parish, and the figures were the gift of another parishioner.

The grotto in which stands the figure of the Lady of Lourdes is illuminated by electric lights, and running water trickles from the side of the grotto into a basin before it. The Rev. Joseph J. Vitko, who succeeded Father Blaschko, will conduct the services this afternoon. Omaha World-Herald, Jun 3, 1928

It’s not clear how long the grotto stood; it may have been removed by the mid-1950s when the new church was built, and cannot be seen on a 1955 aerial map.