About St. Luke Czech Shrine · Loma, Nebraska
St. Luke Czech Shrine is a Catholic shrine in the tiny village of Loma, Nebraska (Butler/Saunders County border country), dedicated to preserving the faith of the Bohemian/Czech Catholic immigrants who settled the surrounding plains in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The wooden church was built in 1912 by Czech farmers on a hill above the village, served as a mission and then an independent parish until 1992, and was re-established the same year as a shrine under the Diocese of Lincoln. Today the shrine is administered from Holy Trinity Church in nearby Brainard and is celebrated with periodic Masses, music, and volunteer-led care, retaining its original stained-glass windows and a rebuilt high altar that mark it as a unique cultural and religious landmark on the Nebraska prairie.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Luke (the Evangelist)
- Rector
- Rev. Steven Snitily (Shrine Director; also Pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Brainard)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
Why belong here
St. Luke Czech Shrine exists as a living memorial to the Czech Catholic immigrants who built it, and visiting it is a way to honor the faith of those settlers — many descendants of the founding families still live in the area and serve as volunteer caretakers. Because it is a shrine rather than a typical parish, it offers periodic (rather than weekly) Masses in a strikingly well-preserved 1912 wooden church, with stained-glass windows carrying the names of those original families, a Marian altar, a replica high altar, and an Italian statue of the dead Christ. For anyone interested in Czech-American heritage, rural Nebraska history, or the unusual intersection of a prairie Catholic church with Hollywood (the 1994 filming of 'To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar' helped fund its restoration), St. Luke's is a unique pilgrimage stop cared for almost entirely by community volunteers.
Mass times at St. Luke Czech Shrine
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Luke Czech Shrine
St. Luke Czech Shrine is a small wooden Catholic church on a hill in the village of Loma, Nebraska, in the heart of the historic 'Bohemian Alps' region of Butler and Saunders Counties. It was built in 1912 by Czech immigrant farmers and today functions as a shrine of the Diocese of Lincoln dedicated to preserving the faith of those settlers. Although the parish was formally closed in 1992, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz re-established the building the same year as a shrine, with Msgr. Myron Pleskac — a native son of the parish — as its first administrator. The shrine is administered from Holy Trinity Church in Brainard and cared for largely by descendants of the original families.
- Built 1912 by Czech farmers
- Parish closed 1992; reopened as a shrine the same year
- Located on a hill above Main Street in Loma
- Under the Diocese of Lincoln
- Administered from Holy Trinity Church, Brainard
History
Loma was platted by John Nabity on December 5, 1901, and grew as a railroad town in the Bohemian Alps between 1876 and 1879. Czech Catholic settlers organized the parish in 1912 and built the church on the hilltop for a budget of roughly $4,500. After serving as a mission to Brainard, Touhy, and Dwight (1912–1915), it became an independent parish with resident pastors from 1915 until 1970. Two of its sons were ordained priests: Fr. Edmund Navratil (1952) and Fr. Myron Pleskac (1960). With the railroad's removal in December 1993 and the dwindling of the village, the parish closed in 1992 but was immediately reborn as a Czech Catholic shrine under Bishop Bruskewitz.
- Village platted December 5, 1901 by John Nabity
- Church built in 1912; original budget ~$4,500
- Mission parish 1912–1915 (Brainard, Touhy, Dwight)
- Resident pastorate 1915–1970
- Two priestly ordinations from the parish: Navratil (1952) and Pleskac (1960)
- Railroad removed from Loma in December 1993
The To Wong Foo Connection
In 1994 Universal Pictures filmed 'To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar' (released 1995) on location in Loma, doubling the village for the fictional 'Snydersville.' Production crews rented the church building as a communications center and made an initial donation of roughly $5,000, which helped 'get the ball rolling' on the shrine's restoration. A faded 'Welcome to Snydersville' outdoor mural from the production still remains in the village. The connection remains one of the shrine's most surprising footnotes.
- Film shot on location in Loma July–October 1994
- Cast: Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo
- Directed by Beeban Kidron; produced by Universal Pictures / Amblin Entertainment
- Universal's ~$5,000 initial donation funded early shrine renovations
- Church used as a communications center during filming
- Outdoor 'Welcome to Snydersville' mural remains in Loma
Architecture and Interior
The church is a modest wood-frame country church in a vernacular Czech-American rural style, set prominently on a hill. Its most celebrated features are the twelve original stained-glass windows (each originally $50), many bearing the surnames of the founding families. One window depicts a beehive, honoring a St. Luke's pastor who kept bees. The high altar is a modern replica rebuilt by craftsman Loran Stara using photographs and oral histories from former parishioners; the original statues of St. Luke and Czech saints are retained at the top. A Marian altar and an Italian-made statue of Jesus in the Tomb complete the sanctuary.
- Wood-frame vernacular Czech-American country church
- Original construction budget ~$4,500
- 12 stained-glass windows, many bearing family surnames
- Beehive window honors a pastor who kept bees
- Replica high altar by Loran Stara, late 1990s
- Original statues of St. Luke and Czech saints retained
- Marian altar; Italian-made statue of Jesus in the Tomb
Mass and Devotional Schedule
As a shrine rather than a typical parish, St. Luke's does not celebrate Mass on a fixed weekly schedule; instead, periodic Masses and special celebrations are scheduled — for example, the next listed Mass at the time of writing is June 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., with music by the Ostry Family. The parent parish of Holy Trinity in Brainard hosts a Christmas Mass at Holy Trinity on the 4th Sunday of Advent at 2654 West Rd, Dwight, NE. Inquiries about scheduling, sacraments, or special visits should be directed to the Brainard rectory.
- Next listed Mass: June 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.
- Music provided by local families (e.g., the Ostry Family)
- Christmas Mass at Holy Trinity on the 4th Sunday of Advent (parent parish)
- Inquiries: 402-545-2691
St. Luke's Cemetery
St. Luke's also maintains an associated cemetery in Loma, information about which is handled through the Brainard rectory.
- Cemetery inquiries: Holy Trinity rectory, 402-545-2691
Volunteers and Visiting
The shrine is sustained almost entirely by descendants of the founding Czech families, who mow the grounds, clean the interior, fundraise, supply statues and furnishings with their own money, and act as informal guides to visitors. The village of Loma itself is largely a historical preserve, with the church as its standout standing building.
- Volunteer caretakers are descendants of the founding families
- Volunteers supply additional statues and furnishings personally
- Visitors welcome; contact Brainard rectory in advance
- Open during scheduled Masses and by arrangement
Location and Contact
The shrine is on Main Street in the village of Loma, NE 68626, about 30 miles northwest of Lincoln. Mail is routed through Holy Trinity Church, PO Box 39, Brainard, NE 68626. The website is hosted under the Holy Trinity Brainard parish domain.
- Street address: Main Street, Loma, NE 68626
- Mailing address: c/o Rev. Steven Snitily, PO Box 39, Brainard, NE 68626
- Phone: 402-545-2691
- Website: holytrinitybrainard.com/st-luke-czech-shrine
- Greeting on official page: 'Vítáme vás' (Czech for 'We welcome you')
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Michael Pazourek1925–1930
First resident pastor of St. Luke's (the parish had been a mission 1912–1915 and was served by alternating priests until a resident was named).
- Fr. Joseph Bauer1930–1932
Resident pastor.
- Fr. Michael Pazourek1932–1937
Returned for a second term as resident pastor.
- Fr. Otto Ekhaml1937–1938
Resident pastor.
- Fr. Arthur Houbsch1938–1939
Resident pastor.
- Fr. Edward Kolar1939
Resident pastor (brief tenure).
- Fr. Frank Leiblinger1939–1959
Longest-serving resident pastor (20 years); during his tenure the parish produced its first priestly ordination (Fr. Edmund Navratil, 1952).
- Fr. Stanley Siegienski1959–1965
Resident pastor.
- Fr. John Kozlik1965–1970
Last full-time resident pastor before the parish went to alternating mission priests.
- Rev. Msgr. Myron Pleskac1992–2015
Native son of the parish (ordained 1960); first administrator of the shrine after Bishop Bruskewitz re-established St. Luke's as a Czech Catholic shrine in 1992; oversaw renovations including the Universal Studios-supported work following the 1994 filming of 'To Wong Foo' in Loma. Born 1934, died 2016.
- Fr. Matthew Eickhoff2015–2016
Shrine Director following Msgr. Pleskac's retirement.
- Rev. Steven Snitily2016–present
Current Shrine Director; concurrently Pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Brainard, and Judicial Vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal.