Gardens and Grounds 
The gardens and grounds around St. Mary’s are a testament to our faith. They are filled with God’s beauty and serenity, His grace, and His desire for us to be closer to him. It is because of the love, commitment and faith of our parishioners that St. Mary’s has continued to blossom in this way. “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Luke 12:34)
The Ten Commandments and Beatitudes
As you walk from the south parking lot to the main entrance of St. Mary’s Church you cannot help but notice the Ten Commandments prominently on display while you pass by. While the front displays all Ten Commandments etched in stone, the back portrays The Beatitudes. Lorraine Augustyn donated this sculpture in the hopes that “maybe people will take them to heart as they read them.” She thought it would be a wonderful thing to remind people of the commandments and, most of all, the precepts which are often overlooked. We are blessed to have the Ten Commandments/Beatitudes shown proudly on our property for all to see and to be reminded of what God asks of each of us.
The Railings that Lead Us to St. Mary’s
The family of A. J. Lackney donated all the railings around the entrances of the church. Not only is this a dear memorial to a loved one, but it also helps those in need of a helpful hand as they enter and exit St. Mary’s Church.
Pointing the Way to St. Mark’s and the Parish Offices
The family of Pat Lackney donated a sign that keeps us on the correct path and shows newcomers the direction they need to go. With its guidance, we can find our way to the parish offices and St. Mark’s. This memorial is a forever reminder as well as a guide for all of us in need.
Our Lady of the Runways
On March 25, 1954, the “Our Lady of the Runways” Shrine was dedicated in the church yard just west of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. It was a gift of the Ianacone and Kouba families. Capt. and Mrs. Gerard Ianacone and their family of eleven children expressed their desire to "do something special" for St. Mary's parish before their departure for Puerto Rico. They suggested a statue of St. Mary. It wasn’t long before Our Lady had a new title and a new shrine on the grounds. The Irvin E. Kouba family, who were builders, offered to build the shrine in which Our Lady, made of Carrara marble, would be housed. Father Robert Garvey said his “parishioners were especially pleased with the new shrine since it was completed just in time for the Marian year.”
“Our Lady has many titles, but this is thought to be the first time she has ever been given the title ‘of the runways’.”
Fr. Garvey quote from the Omaha World Herald, Sunday, April 18, 1954, p.18.
The Madonna of St. Mary’s was built at a special time and for a special reason: during the Air Age, her mission was to protect the men from Offutt Air Force Base, who flew the big bombers right over her shrine. The loud roar of the engines could often be heard directly over St. Mary’s church and their patroness, “Our Lady of the Runways.” It was such a common occurrence that at 9 o’clock Masses, like clockwork, the roar of the B-52’s would make it nearly impossible for the 216 children praying there to hear themselves or the priest. The statue would vibrate regularly since she was located just off the north runway of the Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base. At that time, it was headquarters to our world-wide bomber bases and home to some B-52’s. Many of the 216 boys and girls who went to St. Mary’s School had fathers on those planes preparing for a moment they hoped would never come. Many of the officers who flew were members of St. Mary’s parish, including Brig. Gen. James H. Walsh. He was a command pilot and the headquarters’ Director of Intelligence. The General was so moved when he heard of the statue of Mary, he took the four sisters who taught at St. Mary’s on a flight in a private plane, (by law they could not fly on a military plane) so they could see what St. Mary’s looks like to the pilots taking off on their long missions.
A Memory
"Teaching at St. Mary's School I often think of the sound of roaring airplanes. One year on a first day of school I stopped talking because I could not be heard above the roar. After the first roar when I started to talk again a little boy raised his hand and said: ‘Wait Sister, it will do that two more times.’ He was right. I told the students when we hear a plane we need to be very quiet and silently pray for the safety of everyone on the plane. There is a dad, relative, or friend of someone on that plane and we want everyone to be safe. The students always kept very quiet. Years later I met a former student. I was surprised when she told me that when she hears a plane she always says a quiet prayer for the passengers."
- Sr. Joan Miriam
Our Lady of Sorrows Memorial Garden
“What an appealing image to think of my soul as a garden... and imagine that the Lord is taking a walk in it.” – St. Teresa of Avila (1515 –1582)
The beautiful and serene garden stretches from the east side of St. Mark’s Church to the Our Lady of the Runways Shrine.
Our Lady of Sorrows Memorial Prayer Garden is designed to be:
- a place of peace, contemplation, and quiet
- a place to honor and remember our loved ones
- a place of solitude and a sacred space
- a place to pray
- a place to reflect on the Seven Sorrows of Mary and realize that we are not alone
- a place of meditation amidst nature’s beauty
Learn more about the Seven Sorrows Prayers & Garden.
Seven Sorrows Prayers & Garden
Stained Glass Windows
St. Mary's has an incredible collection of rock-cut stained glass windows inside the Church. These windows have rich and dramatic symbolism and history. To learn more about these windows, please follow the link below.
