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We, the faith-filled community of St. Bernadette, under the guidance of our Blessed Mother, pass on our Catholic heritage to future generations by following Christ's example of caring for His people. We accomplish this through the loving actions of welcoming and serving one another's spiritual and social needs. |
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Monday - Friday: 7am & 9am
Saturday: 8am, 9am & 5:30pm
Sunday: 8am, 9:30am, 11am & 12:30pm
Eves of Holydays: 7pm
Holydays: 7am, 9am & 10am
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We ask all parishioners to stop by the Rectory and register their families by filling out a census card. Without being registered, we cannot issue testimonial letters in connection with the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and/or Matrimony. Also, we would not be able to give recommendations for positions, school or character references. Kindly notify the Rectory if you are moving out of the parish or if you change your address.
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In a letter dated June 24, 1935, Bishop Thomas E. Molloy appointed Rev. Francis P. Barilla the pastor of a new Mission church located in Dyker Heights, namely The Shrine Church of St. Bernadette. The next day, Fr. Barilla came upon an undeveloped plot of land on 82nd Street and 13th Avenue. This area appealed to him as an ideal spot since there could eventually be erected not only a church, but a school, convent, and rectory as well. Fr. Barilla then approached Mr. Collyer and purchased the property. He then rented the property at 8218 13th Avenue, a store front, for $30.00 a month in order to construct a temporary chapel for the celebration of Mass. Until the Chapel was ready, Mass was celebrated at the Archbishop John Hughes Knights of Columbus Council. The parish grew rapidly, and the number of masses celebrated grew from one to four in just four short weeks.
On August 14, 1935, the newly formed Parish Club, held a Block Party raising nearly $2,500 towards the building of the new Shrine Church. A $50,000 campaign drive for the building fund was begun. In October of that year, a dinner dance was held along with Card Parties, a Communion Breakfast, and many other social events. As the parish grew, parishioners contributed to the life of the parish by forming the Altar Rosary Society, Holy Name Society, and the Choir.
The ground breaking ceremony for the church was held on Sunday, March 29, 1936. On June 20, 1936, Bishop Molloy arrived at the Knights of Columbus Club to confer Confirmation to the young adult members of the new parish. On the same day, in the  humble chapel, the children and the adults received their First Holy Communion from Fr. Barilla. It was then that the Bishop appointed Fr. Aloysius G. Beary and Fr. Francis P. O'Loughlen as the first assistants to help in the work of the new mission parish.
In October, 1936, the first cornerstone of the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette was laid. A relic of St. Bernadette was placed beneath the altar. The societies continued with an annual Block Party and other fundraising events and the Dedication Ceremony was celebrated in the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette on October 17, 1937. In the evening, a dinner dance was celebrated by the whole parish and friends in gala attire at the Knight of Columbus in Prospect Park West.
In September, 1953, St. Bernadette School was opened under the direction of the Religious Teachers Filippini. Sr. Anna Zippili, MPF was the first Principal. Under her direction, the school blossomed. Today, Sr. Joan DiRienzo, MPF is Principal continues to run a fine school with nearly 400 students.
Msgr. Barilla remained as pastor until June, 1969. He was succeeded by Msgr. Santi J. Privitera from 1969 until June, 1976. In June, l976, Rev. Cosmo G. Saporito was appointed pastor and led the parish for twenty years. In 1994, Msgr. Saporito began the restoration of the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette, bringing back some of the original painting designs of the early church. The work was completed in October, 1996.
In June, 1996, Rev. Robert J. Romano became the fourth pastor of the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette.
In June 2008, Rev. Msgr.Thomas G. Caserta became the fifth pastor of the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette
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St. Bernadette was born at Lourdes, France. Her parents were very poor and she herself was in poor health. One Thursday, February 11, 1858, when she was sent with her younger sister and a friend to gather firewood, a very beautiful Lady appeared to her above a rose bush in a grotto called Massabielle. The lovely Lady was dressed in blue and white. She smiled at Bernadette and then made the sign of the cross with a rosary of ivory and gold. Bernadette fell on her knees, took out her own rosary and began to pray the rosary. The beautiful Lady was God's Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She appeared to Bernadette seventeen other times and spoke with her. She told Bernadette that she should pray sinners, do penance and have a chapel built there in her honor.
Many people did not believe Bernadette when she spoke of her vision. She had to suffer much. But one day Our Lady told Bernadette to dig in the mud. As she did, a spring of water began to flow. The next day it continued to grow larger and larger. Many miracles happened when people began to use this water. When Bernadette was older, she became a nun. She was always very humble. More than anything else, she desired not to be praised. Once a nun asked her if she had temptations of pride because she was favored by the Blessed Mother. "How can I?" she answered quickly. "The Blessed Virgin chose me only because I was the most ignorant." What humility!
On April 16, 1879, Bernadette -- or Sister Marie-Bernard, as she was known within her order -- died in the Sainte Croix (Holy Cross) Infirmary of the Convent of Saint-Gildard. She was thirty-five.
Bernadette's body was exhumed on Sept. 2, 1909 in the presence of witnesses and although her rosary and crucifix had both oxidized her body appeared "incorrupt" - preserved from decomposition. The church exhumed the body twice more, in 1919 and 1925 and the body was still preserved. In 1925 she was placed in a gold and glass reliquary in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette at the motherhouse in Nevers, where to this day pilgrims view her incorrupt form.
She was beatified in 1925 and canonized in 1933 by Pope Pius XI, not so much for the content of her visions, but rather for her simplicity and holiness of life. She is the patron saint of sick persons and of Lourdes.
(excerpted from Catholic Online)
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