Beauty, peace await at small-town pilgrimage site

Traveling on a rural road, heading north toward the town of Saint Helena, motorists drive over the rolling hills of northeast Nebraska, not far from the South Dakota border.

Topping one last last hill as one approaches town, “the whole river valley kind of opens up before you,” says Father Jeremy Hans, describing a familiar trip to his home parish of Immaculate Conception.

The scene is picturesque, with Immaculate Conception Church “sitting there in this little town,” with a landscape that’s beautiful in any season: green in the spring and summer, dotted with changing colors in the fall and white in winter snow.

The church itself he described as one of the archdiocese’s small-town jewel-box churches: beautiful, peaceful, quiet – conducive to prayer.

Any time is a good time to visit Immaculate Conception, but especially now during the 2025 Jubilee Year. The church has been designated as a Jubilee pilgrimage site, one of eight in the archdiocese.

Catholics can obtain a plenary indulgence by prayerfully visiting the sites.

The other designated holy places are St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, St. Anthony Church in Cedar Rapids, Holy Family Shrine in Gretna, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Lynch, Immaculata Monastery in Norfolk, St. Benedict Center in Schuyler and St. Augustine Indian Mission Church in Winnebago.

The Jubilee Year began on Christmas Eve 2024 and concludes Jan. 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Immaculate Conception is a special place, said Father Hans, now pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Omaha and rector of the cathedral, adding that as someone who grew up in the small-town parish, “I’m biased.”

The faith found in that area, settled by German Catholics, is strong, he said.

“Their faith is important to them. They love their church. They love their parish. They’re involved in parish life and prayer, giving back to the community and passing on the faith.”

“That makes it a beautiful place on a whole other level,” he said.

Michelle Paltz would agree.

She considers herself a transplant parishioner, while her husband, Vic, is a native at Immaculate Conception. They were married at the church in 1995 and now live in the former rectory.

“It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the church just because it is so beautiful,” Michelle said.

She said she “settled in and felt a part of the parish pretty much right away,” getting involved in pro-life advocacy, the choir and other work at Immaculate Conception.

Pilgrims can take in the artistry at the Gothic Revival style church, with its stained glass windows, statues, bell tower, ornate altars, arched ceiling and large pipe organ.

But for regulars at Immaculate Conception, there’s another attraction, too: what Paltz describes as the “hidden Jesus,” a statue only seen for a few hours a year after Mass on Holy Thursday.

The statue, of Jesus in the tomb, resides under a side altar, beneath a statue of St. Joseph. The hidden statue typically is covered by a decorative panel depicting the death of St. Joseph, with Jesus and Mary with him.

But on the solemn occasion that recalls Jesus’ death, the panel is removed and the statue of Jesus in the tomb is unveiled.

The statue is something only regular church-goers at Immaculate Conception would know about.

“That’s kind of our little secret,” Paltz said.

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