Among the many places I went to once and was profoundly impacted by being there, St. Augustine Mission in Winnebago, NE, stands out prominently, as I have often shared in blog posts. Even just going to certain places once has a powerful effect, and fortunately, it has worked out for me, largely thanks to Avila, that I have returned there to reconnect. Furthermore, befitting the Easter Season, I would experience something from the past anew. I timed my visit with the annual St. Augustine Mission Circle of Dreams benefit event, and so the first part of my reconnection trip there was to the Omaha area, where the benefit is typically held.
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| Here's the altar inside the St. Augustine Church, adorned for Easter Season by the Benedictine sisters. |
(As typical with my posts, all photos are mine unless otherwise noted. And all times are Central Daylight Time (CDT)).
So I packed up Avila on a summerlike day in spring at my home base on Thursday, April 13, 2023, and headed west, with the summery weather in full force the whole way as I journeyed along a long stretch of I-80 to reach Nebraska, just like I had 10 years prior.
One item that I took with me was a gray suit. I thought it would be my first time wearing it for an occasion outside of Illinois, but then remembered that the first time I ever wore it was outside Illinois, on the day I graduated from Valparaiso University, which was also Pentecost Sunday. However, it was certainly the longest journey it has ever had yet, and the first time it crossed the Mississippi River.
Shortly after crossing the Mississippi River into Iowa, I stopped to fuel up my tank and my stomach at the Iowa 80 Truckstop, the World's Largest Truckstop, right by Walcott, IA--please see photo below.
I thought it would be an enjoyable experience to partake of the buffet at the Iowa 80 Kitchen, the only sit-down restaurant there. (First, I had to tend to a little bit of Religious Education-related work.) The buffet had a pretty good spread of food.
From there, it was about half an hour on I-80 to my lodgings for the night. I stayed at the same home where I booked AirBnb lodgings 4 years ago when I was sightseeing in West Branch, IA. This time, I got to meet my host.
Around 8 AM the following morning, I was on my way west once again. I attended 8:30 Mass at St. Patrick's Church in Iowa City.
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| Exterior of St. Patrick's Church |
The church building was stunning, especially the way images of the saints were incorporated into the sanctuary.
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| The sanctuary of St. Patrick's Church |
And while there, I learned more about the story of how the original St. Patrick's Church was heavily damaged in a tornado on the evening of Maundy Thursday, April 13, 2006. In the context of Easter Season now, it's amazing to think of how far they've come in building a beautiful new church space. Following Mass, I went to the adoration chapel, which had on display a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that was recovered from the rubble--please see the photo below. The church decided not to put the hands back on that had been severed as a sign that we, the faithful, are called to be the hands of Christ in the world. And surely that statue serves as a reminder of what they overcame and the Resurrection they experienced as a church community.
After I stopped at Wendy's for a quick breakfast of a honey chicken biscuit sandwich, I continued westward. In Des Moines, I stopped at a Subway restaurant for lunch, what I'm fairly certain is the same Subway my group stopped at 10 years ago. At the first rest stop west of Des Moines, I ate my sandwich.
Between 1-2 PM, I reached I-880, and continued due west until I reached the observation tower near I-29. I got great views of the Loess Hills, the Missouri River Valley, the Omaha skyline in the distance, and even storm clouds headed east.
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| View looking west |
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| Viewing looking northeast, with storm clouds in the distance, and Avila parked down below |
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| View looking east, with I-880 appearing toward the lower right of the photo |
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| The observation tower itself |
From there, it was a quick drive to I-29, and then I headed south to Omaha. I arrived at the Lewis and Clark National Trail Headquarters in Omaha between 2-3 PM. I looked at the museum exhibits, and then walked nearby to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and strolled over the Missouri River back into Iowa, and back again into Nebraska. It was a warm and sunny summerlike day, just like it was back in Chicagoland.
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| The outside of the Lewis and Clark National Trail Headquarters building, with part of the Bob Kerrey Bridge appearing near the bottom left of the photo |
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| The Bob Kerrey Bridge, looking east from Nebraska toward Iowa |
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| Here I am standing on the Iowa-Nebraska border on the Bob Kerrey Bridge, looking toward the north. The Missouri River appears behind me. I thank the pedestrian who I stopped and kindly agreed to photograph me. |
Subsequently, I went to my hotel, the Quality Inn, due east in Council Bluffs. Around 5:30, I was back out in the summery weather and bound west, back into Nebraska, bound for the Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, just beyond the northwest side of Omaha. I wore the gray suit that usually serves as my all-purpose outfit for special business-attire occasions. It was the first time the suit crossed both the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and certainly is the farthest journey it's ever had. I felt like I was brining it full circle as I neared the 10th anniversary of my ValpU graduation.
The hour between 6-7 PM was a time for mingling. I got talking with some of the attendees, including the Benedictine sisters. I also chatted with Father Mark, the St. Augustine priest and mission director.
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| In this photo, Father Mark appears to the left of me. A fellow participant took this photo. |
Dinner hour began at 7 PM. I wondered aloud with those seated at my table if maybe there would be something truly Nebraskan for dinner like steak. After some speculation it would be something different, sure enough, we got dinner plates with steak and shrimp, along with asparagus.
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| I sat at this table during the meal. |
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| Here's my dinner plate. |
Like I did during the reception, at the dinner table, when people asked me about my connection to St. Augustine, I shared the story of my service trip there 10 years ago. I realize there's a certain power to my story because the week I spent there has kept me so strongly connected to the mission from miles away and years later. It was fitting to attend this event on this evening, as it reminded me of the Friday in April 10 years ago when my group got together for a reunion, a little more than a month after we returned.
A little later in the evening, several people made remarks, including Father Mark, and Chris LaPointe, who attended the St. Augustine school and is still active in the Winnebago community. There was also a video played that showed St. Augustine schoolchildren going into the new school for the first time. It was delightful to watch their reactions. And there were two awards presented. The evening ended with an auction.
As I left, I noticed rain sprinkles starting, consistent with the lightning I saw from inside. I drove to US Route 6, and followed it east through Omaha. While driving, the skies rained in great torrents. By the time I arrived back at my hotel in Council Bluffs, the rain had lightened significantly, and the temperature had dropped.
It was certainly a cool, cloudy day on Saturday. After breakfast, including a Belgian waffle, and taking it easy, I checked out of the hotel. I drove east to downtown Council Bluffs. First, I went to visit the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, housed inside a Carnegie library building, once the Council Bluffs Public Library. When I found out there would be a guided docent tour at 1:30 PM, I decided to just take a quick look. And then I went to the nearby Council Bluffs Public Library, which is quite an impressive space--and furthermore impressive that it was built several years ago with privately raised funds and used not a single taxpayer dollar.
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| Above is inside the Council Bluffs Public Library and below is the entrance outside. |
Around 12:30 or so, I went to have lunch at Boxer Barbecue, which was a recommendation from the lady greeting people at the museum. I was back at the museum in time for the tour.
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| Outside the Union Pacific Railroad Museum |
The museum's exhibits are really well done. The first level shows the development of the transcontinental railroad.
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| Above is a display for the Transfer Hotel that was once in Council Bluffs, IA |
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| Display with pieces of a wooden rail tie and metallic rail from the original transcontinental route |
And then there are exhibits of how the railroad was run back in the 19th Century. The upper level has an exhibit on the nature of passenger train travel in the 20th Century.
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| Passenger seating |
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| Lounge car |
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| Dining display |
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| A fellow visitor photographed me as I pose in the train seat in a display that companies train, auto, and air travel. |
The other side of the upper level has displays on the operations of the Union Pacific Railroad today, including track maintenance, dispatching, and train operations, including a hands-on display where you can sit in the operator's seat, and even sound the whistle. The docent--I think his name was Richard--did a good job pointing out notable points in the displays.
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| Directly above and below are displays on the UP Railroad today in the upper level of the museum. |
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| Model train running near the ceiling in the upper floor display on the UP Railroad today |
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| A fellow visitor photographed me as I pose by the "Run the train" display. |
I would honestly say that this museum is one of the best. It does a great job displaying relevant information and highlighting the story of the Union Pacific Railroad throughout the past century and a half, even helping us better understand how the railroad operates today. The museum has content that I feel appeals to a wide audience including the many families with children I saw there.
Just after 3:30, I departed the museum and drove a little bit south to see the Golden Spike Monument, marking mile 0 of the Union Pacific Railroad for the transcontinental route. There used to be a hotel on the site where travelers could spend the night.
And then I drove back into Omaha and went to the north side to visit the Great Plains Black Heritage Museum, arriving around 4 PM. It's a small museum in the storefront of a historic building. Inside a man, who I presumed was the director, showed me around the displays in two different rooms. They included African-American fraternal groups, famous African-Americans with honorary streets in Omaha, lynching violence, the Omaha Star (an African-American newspaper), and African-Americans with distinguished accomplishments, including in sports, politics, and the military. It was nice to get shown around and get commentary about the displays.
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| Displays for boycotts organized by the DePorres Club at Creighton University |
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| Sports display |
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| Desk for the Omaha Star, |
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| Exterior of the museum |
Between 4:30-5:00, I headed south and went to visit the Gerald Ford Birthsite. He was born in the lower level of a large home that no longer stands. On the site are landscaped gardens and displays about President Ford, and also past governors of Nebraska and mayors of Omaha.
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| Landscaped garden area at the birthsite |
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| This display shows a model of the house where Gerald Ford was born |
Next, I went to attend 5:30 evening Mass at the Cathedral of St. Cecilia. I got stuck navigating the traffic flow on a major street just south of the cathedral and then I had to park a couple blocks away because many people were there for a fundraiser event, so I walked inside just seconds before Mass started. It was ironic that this Mass, held inside the only US cathedral named for the patron saint of music, had no music. Yet it was still an important encounter with God in a massive space with impressive church art and architecture. Without music, Mass was over in 40 minutes. I lingered for a while admiring the space.
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| The sanctuary of the Cathedral of St. Cecilia, looking toward the atlar |
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| Interior of the Cathedral, looking toward the back |
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| Exterior of the Cathedral of St. Cecilia |
For dinner, I drove southwest a few minutes to get an iconic Nebraska Runza sandwich. Once I finished, I went kitty-corner to fill up at Hy-Vee and then shop for a few groceries. Then I began my journey to Winnebago, following the route of US 75 from central Omaha through the rural areas of eastern Nebraska. I arrived at St. Augustine Mission shortly after 9 PM.
The following morning, on Sunday, after breakfast, I went for a drive to Walthill to see St. Joseph, and then to Rosalie to see the site of the sweat lodge. It was a cool, cloudy, and windy morning. I returned to St. Augustine in time for 10 AM Mass. It was a special occasion with four children receiving their first Holy Communion, and one of them also getting baptized at the same Mass. The decorations in the sanctuary added a special touch of Easter, which Father Mark said the sisters did.
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| Sanctuary of St. Augustine Church |
I was talking with Father Mark after Mass and I mentioned my interest in seeing the new school building. So he kindly took me up on my request and took me on a tour. The building is impressive, with the latest modern designs, along with spacious rooms, and great amenities, like a cafeteria, which weren't available in the current school building. Father Mark mentioned that everything fell into place just right for the school building to become a reality. He even mentioned that people involved in the construction project told him that they wouldn't raise enough money for the school. Yet the money appeared through the generosity of so many.
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| South side of the school building: The glass doors lead into the school cafeteria, which is below. |
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| School library |
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| The door to the left is the 7th grade classroom, and the door to the right is the 8th grade classroom. |
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| School gym |
After returning briefly to the rectory, I headed out for the afternoon. I got a light lunch of two tacos at a restaurant in the Winnebago development across from St. Augustine Mission. Subsequently, I drove north toward Sioux City. I eventually picked up I-29 and took a joy ride to Dakota Dunes in South Dakota. Back in Iowa, I stopped at the Sergeant Floyd Boat Museum/Visitors' Center to get postcards. From there, I went to the Cathedral of the Epiphany for the Divine Mercy Sunday Holy Hour, which was a mystical and prayerful experience. The interior of the sanctuary is a stunning space, including the tabernacle that appears like a gold house. After it ended, I learned that Vespers was scheduled at 4 PM, so I lingered to attend that prayer time.
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| Interior of the sanctuary |
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| Exterior of the cathedral |
After returning to Winnebago, later in the evening, Father Mark offered to take me out to dinner. We went to Ranchito in South Sioux City. On the menu, I was intrigued by the Entometada dish, and when I asked the server if she would recommend it, she did. The dish had beef in between two tortillas, which was topped with sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese. I enjoyed it. (The entree appears in the photo below.)
Upon our return to St. Augustine, I asked Father Mark if I could look around inside the current school building, to relive moments in there before it is razed. As we walked around, I pointed out spots with particular memories.
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| Here I pose on some kind of observation platform above the current school gym floor. Photo is by Father Mark. |
Back at the rectory, we visited with the Foley's, who were also staying there.
The following morning, I was up early for 6:30 Mass, with the sunlight already starting to emerge. It was a cool morning, but I could tell it would warm.
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| Monday morning at the St. Augustine Mission |
Following breakfast and packing, I began my drive east back to Oak Park. I made a quick stop to mail postcards in downtown Winnebago. Just before Decatur, I stopped at the scenic overlook with the Earth Lodge model, and the view was still as good there as I remember it from previous visits.
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| View toward the Earth Lodge from the parking lot |
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| View of the Missouri River from the Earth Lodge |
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| View looking up toward the Earth Lodge from a path leading down toward the Missouri River |
From there, it wasn't too long of a drive to cross back into Iowa and then get on I-29 south, and then to I-80, traveling along the rolling hills.
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| Above is a view of the rolling hills, looking west, at a rest stop on I-80 in western Iowa. Below is a Hy-Vee truck at that same rest stop. |
In the early afternoon, I stopped for lunch in Clive, IA, at Cracker Barrel, near Des Moines, continuing a custom I enjoy on road trips. I also took advantage of stops at the fabulous Iowa rest stops. The skies were sunny and the temperatures were pleasantly temperate. The fields of opportunity in Iowa gave way to the fields of Illinois in the early evening. I reached Chicagoland by 7 PM, and I was back at homebase around 8 PM, in conditions much cooler than the summerlike day when I had left.
This trip was a special time, and I reflect on it in terms of a remark Father Mark made on Monday morning right before I was about to leave. He expressed that I always have a home at St. Augustine Mission and indicated that it's clear I feel so connected there by virtue of my profound time there 10 years ago during the service trip. Even as I've my continued forward in life, it's special to circle back to places like St. Augustine because its impact on me persists: As I've mentioned before, my faith flourished in my college years. I sense that my first time at St. Augustine, with an overarching purpose related to faith, sparked something in me to seek to incorporate spiritual components in all my travels over the past 10 years, in light of how my first trip to St. Augustine Mission had a purpose strongly driven by spirituality, as have the subsequent trips.
It was inspiring to go there for a service trip 10 years ago, and I continue to be inspired by what's happening there. I am definitely amazed by what Father Mark told me about the school that some people doubted St. Augustine could raise the money, and then it appeared. I saw this story as a great example of the reality of Easter present in our world, something new blooming, just like the story of St. Patrick's Church in Iowa City. With some challenges present in my life, it was an uplifting experience to go on a trip and have these encounters. It helped me feel the spirit of the Easter Season, fitting with the Spring Season, and how this time of year reminds us of how we are made anew.
I certainly also enjoyed the opportunity to take in the sights of the USA in the Great Plains. Notably, I crossed the Missouri River 10 times during this trip, two of them on foot. There was so much about this trip in which I connected with the land of the heartland of the USA. I'm glad I got to spend more time in the Omaha area. And visiting the railroad museum offered some context for how people connect to this land through the efforts made to transport people.
Furthermore, the Native American people are so intricately bound to the land, because their culture has drawn so much from it for thousands of years. Despite the hardships they've faced in recent centuries, they have found ways to flourish by continuing to tap into the land, being connected to the earth and to one another. That sense of connection certainly adds context for how I still feel connected to St. Augustine and so many other places and people that have impacted me and made me alive. In the context of the communion of saints, we are connected with those who have gone on before us to Heaven, and we are connected with the church throughout the whole world.
As life continues and changes occur, it's special to have these "Kairos" encounters with God to circle back to as we continue our journey, always knit and connected together, and to see how we continue to experience them anew.
Mita Kuye Oyasin.
All my relations.
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| The new St. Augustine School lit up at night shows a cross, which appears near the center of the photo. |
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| Father Mark Bridgman photographed me in the rising sunlight of Monday, April 17, following Mass at the St. Augustine Church. |
P.S. Here is a
news report about the dedication of the new St. Augustine Mission School, which was on April 18.
