Unexpected Omaha: Rainforests, deserts, and a Catholic village that was run by at- risk youth.

A carriage ride through the old market (photo courtesy of Nebraska Tourism Commission)

Nebraska’s largest city makes for a fun and spiritually enriching family vacation. While the city draws most of its visitors annually for the College Baseball World Series, it is worth a visit at any time of year.

Few visitors realize that in the heart of the Nebraska prairie, you can experience the world’s largest indoor desert and North America’s largest indoor rain forest here (at the Henry Doorly Zoo) and also soak in some old world charm along the cobblestone streets of the Old Market District and the ornate Durham Museum located in the City’s Union Station. Not to be missed is the monumental St. Cecilia Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in the U.S.

Boys Town

As impressive as these sites are, nothing compares to the wonderful legacy and testimony to Christian charity that exists at Boys Town, located just outside of Omaha’s city limits. This was the town established for at-risk youth by a priest who is well along the road to canonization: Servant of God Fr. Edward Flanagan. The town is now one of Omaha’s most visited attractions. Visitors can tour the Boys Town Village, including the Hall of History (a comprehensive museum with historic artifacts and exhibits telling the history of Boys Town), the Father Flanagan House, the Garden of the Bible, and the Dowd Memorial Chapel where you can pray at the tomb of Fr. Flanagan.

Statue of Fr. Flanagan at Boys Town (courtesy of Nebraska Tourism)

Fr. Flanagan was an early twentieth century Omaha priest who took on a special ministry for at-risk youth in the 1920s that made him renowned across the world. This mission was originally inspired by work he did with Omaha’s homeless community during World War I, quickly realizing the one thing that most drifters had in common was that they came from broken families. He obtained the Bishop’s permission to work with youth in the criminal justice system and began organizing dedicated room and board for at-risk youth under his care. The demand for this support grew to the point where he was given title to the farmland which today is known as the Village of Boys Town.

Many Omaha residents donated funds and effort to building the village. During the Great Depression, he had 5 to 10 boys a day coming to knock on the doors of Boys Town, to live; a “City of Little Men” that would teach these troubled youth to become responsible citizens. Everyone had their own job to contribute to operation of community, including the laundry, the power plant and farming. It was here in the 1920s and 1930s that his work became renowned and eventually turned into a Hollywood movie. He helped the boys living in the village to raise their own food on a working farm, attend school, and even had the boys elect their own mayor of the village. During his life time, over 6,000 youth were under his care and today the Boys Town program reaches into ten states and serves over 1 million at-risk youth. He also went on missions to Europe and Asia to help with the war orphans.

Dowd Memorial Chapel, Boys Town (photos courtesy of Nebraska Tourism)

It was on the overseas mission to postwar Germany, that Fr. Flanagan died in 1948. President Truman had his remains flown back to Boys Town and personally came to pay his respects two days after the funeral. Fr. Flanagan is buried inside the Dowd Memorial Chapel and his cause for canonization is now being explored. One of his most frequently cited sayings is: Without God at the beginning, there can only be confusion at the end.

Day Trip to Sioux City, IA: Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine

About 90 minutes north of Omaha along I-29 is Sioux City, Iowa, where a most remarkable destination awaits you: the Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine.

Photo courtesy of Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine

This unique site combines over twelve shrines set among 16 acres of garden paths. The crowning monument on the grounds is the 33 foot statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Peace, with a touching Circle of Life Memorial to the unborn close by. On the other end of the grounds is a similarly large statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Photo courtesy of Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine

Other notable outdoor statues include those to six Marian apparitions, including a replica of the Lourdes grotto, a 22 foot long wood sculpture of the Last Supper, and monuments to about 60 saints spread across the grounds. There is also the St. Joseph Chapel on site, where you can go for Eucharistic Adoration and also venerate a relic the chapel holds of St. Faustina.