The Rev. Msgr. Adrian F. Herbek, 90, died at Bonacum House in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, with family at his side.
Monsignor's pastoral life of 50 years (1959-2009) included being in charge of Catholic high schools. He was born on the farm by Deweese, on March 13, 1934. He attended rural grade school, and graduated from Nelson High School. At the age of 17, he entered Conception Seminary in Missouri, taught by the Benedictine Monks for 8 years (1951-59), preparing for ordination to the priesthood which took place in Deweese on June 5, 1959, by Bishop James Casey.
His first assignment was St. Wenceslaus Parish in Wahoo (1959-62) where he taught, directed the marching band and coached all the sports. He organized a project to collect 3,000 Gold Bond trading stamps for a new 48-passenger school bus.
His second assignment was at the new Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln for 3 years (1963-66) while
it was being built and teaching at Pius X High School. His third assignment was in Butler County for 43 years (1966-2009) as principal and later superintendent of Aquinas High School in David City. He received his administration degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and Creighton University in Omaha. He then served as pastor of St. Francis Parish in Center, south of David City for 17 years (1973-1990) continuing as superintendent. In 1990 he was assigned pastor of St. Mary's in David City for 19 years (1990-2009), again continuing as superintendent.
In 1991, he was invested as an Honorary Prelate to His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, with the title of Reverend Monsignor.
He retired from active ministry, June 15, 2009, at the age of 75, and moved to Bonacum House in Lincoln. However, in 2010, he was requested to continue ministering in Valparaiso until 2011, and filled in for parishes across the state when needed for eight more years. The Bishop requested him to pastor in Friend, Nebraska, which he graciously did from 2019-2021. He officially retired in 2021 at the age of 87 and celebrated his 65th year as an ordained priest in June 2024. He enjoyed taking vacations with family, friends and fellow priests, seeing family whenever he could and in retirement enjoyed the new hobby of coloring and completing religious diamond art.
He is survived by his sisters, Mildred Lemke of Superior, Mary Ellen Karsting of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and Sister Rosaline of the Marian Sisters at Waverly.
He was preceded in death by brother, Bernard, and his sister-in-law, Dolores Herbek, by his brothers-in-law, Mike Karsting and Arnold Lemke, and by his parents, George and Mary (Drudik) Herbek.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m., on Friday, Oct. 11, at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ with Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz as celebrant and the priests of the Lincoln Diocese as Con celebrants.
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