St.Bernard is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
church in
Rockville,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, part of the
Diocese of Norwich
The Diocese of Norwich is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Church of England that forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.
History
It traces its roots in an unbroken line to the diocese of the Bishop of the Eas ...
.
History
In 1848, 15 Catholic residents of Rockville met in a house owned by the Paper Mill Company to celebrate the first Mass.
By 1853, the influx of Catholic residents was such that the group needed a larger facility. Skinner Hall located over the meat market on Market Street became the last place to attend Mass before congregation acquired the present site. In 1854, the Parish of St. Bernard was established with Rev. Peter Egan as the pastor and by 1856 the first church had been completed.
In 1904, the church was destroyed in a disastrous fire and the congregation used the Town Hall as a temporary place of worship while the new church was under construction.
The cornerstone of the present St. Bernard's Church was laid during a ceremony five months after the fire. Shortly thereafter the chapel in the basement was dedicated and used for Mass and other services until the upper church was completed. The new church was dedicated on September 20, 1908.
Buildings
The 1908
Gothic Revival church building was designed by noted church architect
Joseph A. Jackson of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. Jackson had designed the parish school in 1895. The parish convent was designed by the firm of
Whiton & McMahon Whiton may refer to:
Surname
* Edward V. Whiton (1805–1859), American lawyer, jurist, and Wisconsin pioneer
*Emelyn Whiton (1916–1962), American sailor
* Herman Whiton (1904–1967), American sailor
Places
* Whiton, Alabama
* Whiton, Mary ...
of
Hartford, Connecticut. All three buildings are listed as significant contributing properties of the City of Rockville Historic District.
Music
St. Bernard Church contains one of the earliest
Austin organs, Opus 205, with two manuals and eight ranks.
The instrument deteriorated over time and in 2008 it gave way to a digital instrument built by the
Rodgers Organ Company of
Hillsboro, Oregon. The pipes from the original Austin organ have been retained and it is hoped that at some future time the new organ can be configured to make use of this historic instrument.
References
External links
St. Bernard Catholic ChurchDiocese of Norwich
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Bernard Church (Rockville, Connecticut)
Gothic Revival church buildings in Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Rockville, Connecticut
Historic district contributing properties in Connecticut
Churches in Tolland County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Tolland County, Connecticut
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut