Monsignor John McNamara, 1934–1949

On March 9, 1934, Father John McNamara, came to O'Neill to succeed Monsignor Cassidy. Father McNamara was born in Wisner, Nebraska, on March 1, 1872. He received his early education at Guardian Angels School in Wisner and later attended Quincy College in Quincy, Illinois. He went to Mount St. Mary's of the West Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was ordained to the priesthood in Omaha on March 4, 1897. He was an assistant at Nor folk Sacred Heart and at Sacred Heart Church in Omaha, and at St. Patrick's in Jackson, Nebraska. On November 4, 1900, he was appointed pastor of St. Andrew's Church in Bloomfield, Nebraska, where for thirty-four years in his quiet, unassuming way he worked unselfishly and untiringly for his fold. There are no records inscribed of his parish work or any building projects undertaken or any important repairs made. His first years in O'Neill were years of poverty and depression occasioned by many years of drought and complete crop failures. The temperature reached one-hundred-and-seventeen degrees on July 20, 1934, and still was one-hundred-and-one degrees at night. The following winter brought a mumps epidemic to the town. But it was not all darkness.

On Thursday, February 21, 1935, at ten o'clock, the city of O'Neill was honored in having its pastor raised to the dignity of Monsignor. Bishop Joseph Rummel presided at the ceremonies. The solemn High Mass was celebrated by Father P. J. Vanderlaan with Father J. O'Flynn as deacon,

John Hilt as subdeacon, Joseph Ostdiek and E. J. Applebaum were Masters of Ceremonies, J. J. Crowley was assistant priest, Bernard Lordeman and Hugh Gately were deacons of honor to Bishop Rummel, F. J. Werthman and A. J. Kluthe were deacons to Bishop Boniface Sawer of Korea. The sermon was delivered by Father William J. Leahy, S.J. In the sermon, he stressed the fact that Monsignor's training came from parents, especially his good mother, thoroughly imbued with Catholic faith and ideals who held God and His Holy Religion above all else. A Christian education followed, wherein he discovered and embraced gratefully his call to the priesthood. During his seminary days, he was a model of humble graciousness and kindness to all, and the practice of these virtues still make him beloved by everyone. From his priestly dignity, ever strongly evident, emanates an odor of sanctity which influences those with whom he came in contact to follow his example in the practice of good living. He further stated that Monsignor McNamara was the first native son of the diocese to be made a Monsignor. In conclusion he hoped Monsignor McNamara might live many years among the good people of O'Neill. After the Communion of the Mass, Bishop Rummel spoke to the congregation. He stated that Monsignor McNamara was chosen because of these distinguishing traits: his priestliness, his ability to perform his sacerdotal duties, his graciousness and his kindness. His priestly dignity emanates from everything he puts his hand to. On former occasions, promotions and advanced opportunities were offered to him but each time he declined preferring to remain with his devoted parishioners. In Bloomfield he signalized his work by his devotion to education and to the advancement of the young. Tremendous sacrifices were necessary to carry on the work, but he himself set the example. In O'Neill too, his zeal for education has continued and will continue, and his ambition

to influence children and youth in the cultivation of the virtue and those characteristic flowers of our holy faith will ever attend him. The needs of presenting to youth correct and high ideals was tremendous for there is much being done to draw youth away from God. Before concluding, the Bishop emphasized the fact that Monsignor's success was attributed to his ability to unify his parishioners and keep them in harmony with the teachings of the church. A dinner was given to the visiting clergy by the Altar Society at the Golden Hotel. In the evening a reception in honor of Monsignor McNamara was held with all the children of St. Mary's present and the members of the parish. Other clergy present were: Monsignors J. W. Stenson of Omaha; James Aherne and Bernard Sinne of Omaha; Charles Gilmartin of East St. Louis, Illinois; John Frigge of

Raeville ; J. J. Crowley of Albion; B. H. Lordemann of Hartington; Fathers John O'Flynn of Lynch, Hugh Gatley of Norfolk; E. K. Zeph of Hubbard; Albert Zemp of St. John's; A. A. Ziesel of Omaha; M. F. Byrne of Emmet; W. Kearns of Wayne; John Reaff of Oldrich, S.D.; G. Vermeulen of Cedar Rapids, Ia.; Leo Blaere of valentine; R. F. Barry of Long Pine; M. E. Dolan of Chadron; B. Calvin of Spalding, John Gleason of St. Paul, Nebr.; John Smiskol of Omaha; M. Schauer of Primrose; John Hilt of Stuart; J. J. Rowan of Platte, S.D., Robert Dube of Fair fax, S.D.; E. J. Appelbaum of Clearwater; Francis Latsch of Constance; F. J. Worthman of Butte; A. S. Kluthe of Central City; Charles Strassberger of Bloomfield; Charles Oborny of Verdigre; Bernard Westerman of Fordyce; William Mulligan of St. Edward; P. J. Vanderlaan of Ewing; J. H. Ostdiek of Omaha; R. F. Maron of Scotia; J. O'Sullivan of Laurel; V. P. Walkowiak of Fullerton; J. P. Myers and John Pieper of Atkinson; William Leahy, S. J. and Clement Ryan, S. J. of Omaha; and Felix Gebauer of Spencer.

In March of 1935, there were terrible dust storms which caused much dust pneumonia and also an epidemic of measles. But Monsignor carried on without a complaint or any demand for money, making the best of existing conditions and making ends meet as best he could. Always kind and gentle, he hated to talk about money, even when times got better and when most people prospered, he still left the parish budget and assessments as they were. A blizzard hit O'Neill in February of 1936 and it lasted a week. Drifts were ten feet high and shortages of food and fuel were everywhere. Monsignor helped where he could. The spring brought a quick thaw and the streets had four feet of water. The following winter saw the temperature drop to twenty-four degrees below zero and the spring witnessed Monsignor's fortieth anniversary of his priesthood. The year of 1939 witnessed dust storms ih January, heat and grasshoppers in the summer months and much snow again in December. The year 1940 had lots of snow and Easter looked like Christmas. July was full of heat waves and November had an early blizzard which brought much damage to the crops and cattle and cancellation of the Armistice Day parade. These were the quiet years of St. Patrick's as Monsignor never wrote down the daily happenings of the parish, because things were difficult and Europe was torn apart by war. New Year's Day of 1941 brought a severe blizzard and the following year Monsignor celebrated his forty-fifth anniversary of his priesthood.

Father Francis Price was ordained to the priesthood and the native son celebrated his First Solemn Mass in O'Neill in 1944. Wind storms, heat waves, blizzards and the parish continued on its quiet journey under Monsignor McNamara who celebrated his golden jubilee of his priesthood on

March 4, 1947. The Mass was celebrated at ten o'clock and members of the jubilee choir were: Alice Biglin, Barbara Birmingham, Rosaline Bosn, Devine Brennan, Janet Enright, Mary Faulhaber, Kathleen Flood, Joan Franking, Jane Froelich, Jean Froelich, Dolores Fredrickson, Charlotte

Funk, Patricia Funk, Maxine Golden, Mary Joan Hynes, Janice Jarman, Helen Kubitschek, Beverly McCarthy, Marilyn Moore, Martha Mullen, Regina Mullen, Annalee O'Bryan, Joan Simonson, Joyce Steele, Cecilia Telles, Bernadette Thiele, Shirley Viersen, Dorothy Wilson, and Betty White. The Deacon of the Mass was Father Francis Werthman of Butte. Father A. A. Lehman of Atkinson was subdeacon and Father P. F. Burke of Ewing was Master of Ceremonies and Father J. J. O'Brien of Emmet delivered the sermon. Other attending clergy included Monsignors

Joseph Boshek of West Point, B. H. Lordemann of Hartington and J. J. Crowley of Albion. The church interior was highly decorated for the event.

Monsignor McNamara was presented two purses, one as a gift from St. Patrick's parish and the other from St. Andrew's parish in Bloomfield. A Bloomfield delegation of twenty persons headed by Father John Beacon were also present. A dinner followed at noon in the dining room at

St. Mary's Academy. It was sponsored by the Catholic Daughters of America and the Knights of Columbus. Seventy persons were served including the visiting clergy and Monsignor's special guests. Father B. J. Leahy of Fremont was toastmaster. At two o'clock a program was presented in the O'Neill public school auditorium by the pupils of St. Mary's Academy.

The month of May brought snow, late frosts, floods, hail, and wind storms. Father Eugene Gallagher, S. J. was ordained to the priesthood and celebrated his first Solemn High Mass in O'Neill on June twenty-second, and Father Peter Price, S. J. was ordained the following year and celebrated his first Mass on June 20, 1948. And on November 18, 1948, the Big Blizzard "the worst since '88" hit O'Neill.

The Governor of Nebraska declared an emergency and the Fifth Army moved in to help. Sufferers were to leave signal marks in the snow, and planes would alight to the rescue. The planes arrived on skis with food, medicine, and fuel.

Relatives in O'Neill sent rescue planes out to rural people whose telephones and radios no longer functioned and whom might not know the distress signals. Stories of dire distress came back. Families were living in single rooms to conserve fuel; fence posts and furniture were being used as fuel; some were out of food. St. Mary's Academy had reopened but only a few students could get to school and Monsignor was doing all he could to make things easier for those in dire need.

On September 30th, the city of O'Neill celebrated its Diamond Jubilee and St. Mary's float "Golden Jubilee Bells" rung by little angels won first place

In October, Monsignor was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Lynch. His health was improving, but on the Feast of All Souls, November 2, "Father Mac" passed away from this life to the next. The funeral was on Monday, November 7, at ten-thirty o'clock. An eight o'clock Mass had been said for the pupils of St. Mary's Academy. The Pontifical High Mass followed the Divine Office of the Dead. Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan was the celebrant of the Mass. Monsignor Bernard Lordeman of Hartington was assistant priest; Father Daniel Sheehan was Master of ceremonies; Fathers B. J. Leahy and Raymond Auer were Deacons of Honor; Father A. A. Lehman of Atkinson was Deacon; Father Michael Condon of Spencer was subdeacon; Father Edgar Wortman of Creighton was thurifer; Father William Kleffman of Hooper was Book Bearer; Father Francis Price of South Sioux City was Burgia Bearer; Father Francis Kubart of Norfolk was Mitre Bearer. Jack Carney and John Joe Uhl were acolytes. Father Francis Werthman of Albion delivered the sermon. Pallbearers were Fathers Bernard Westerman of Crofton, Conrad J. Kaup of Deloit, John Hilt of North Bend, Anthony Paschang of Stuart, Theodore Beult of Elgin, John O'Brien of Platte Center, Charles Oborny of Verdigre, and Herman J. Kaup of Randolph. The pallbearers who escorted the body from the Biglin Funeral Home on Saturday afternoon and from the rectory to the church on Sunday were Joseph Bazelman, Leonard Shoemaker, J. Leo Moore, C. V. Sullivan, F. E. Parkins, and Ray Bosn. After the Pontifical Mass (about 1 :30 p.in.) the body was taken to Wisner for burial, and the long procession of cars, escorted by a state highway patrol car, left for his final resting place. Students of St. Mary's Academy lined both sides of the street north of the traffic light. There were about thirty-five cars in the procession and interment was made in the Catholic cemetery at Wisner beside the grave of his cousin, the late Father William McNamara.

The beloved Monsignor “Mac" was held deeply in human hearts especially those of the children who thronged daily to the rectory with medals and rosaries to bless, but in most cases, to receive the usual stick of gum or a lollipop or some candy which was always kept on hand for this

purpose. His fellow priests held him as the “grand patriarch" of the priesthood as well as the first Nebraska-born priest to be a Monsignor. He also had a phenomenal love for card playing. He was a priest for fifty-three years and died of a cerebral hemorrhage.