Polish priest survived Nazi malaria experiments, then built Nebraska shrine
Father Henry J. Denis, a Polish priest who survived Nazi medical experiments at the Dachau concentration camp, fulfilled a vow to build a shrine to the Blessed Mother after the war. The Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Nebraska stands as a testament to his survival and faith.
Why it matters
This story preserves a historical account of the horrors faced by clergy in Nazi camps and the personal resilience of survivors.
A small roadside monument beside US Highway 34 in rural Nebraska carries the memory of a survival story that began inside the barracks of Dachau concentration camp. The Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, located on the grounds of St. Germanus Catholic Church in Arapahoe, was built to fulfil a solemn promise made by Father Henry J. Denis. Imprisoned by Nazi forces during the Second World War and subjected to deadly medical experiments, the Polish military chaplain vowed that if he survived the concentration camp, he would build a public shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother.
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