Ours is a church community of disciples living out our relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, praise, and service. Ours is a family of disciples who are learning to wash one another's feet in imitation of Jesus Christ who calls all who follow him to take up their cross and join his effort. Ours is a parish of disciples who are seeking to live out our mission to strengthen our relationship with God and all people through acts of charity, justice, and love, proclaiming the Gospel, sharing the Eucharist, and developing our ministries.
As the pastor of Saint Bernadette, I am grateful for the energy and enthusiasm our parishioners bring to every endeavor. Whether it be our praise of God in the Mass, our socializing in parish dinners or parties, our passing on the faith to our children through our Saint Mary Academy or public school GIFT program, or our outreach to the sick, the poor, and the vulnerable, in all matters our parishioners bring their many talents and gifts to the service of Jesus Christ. God gets to us through us here at Saint Bernadette!
I invite you to become a part of our discipleship crusade to deepen our relationship with Jesus and through this personal encounter become his hands and heart in our community. May the Holy Spirit of God, which has brought you here to us, continue to inspire your journey with the Lord. And should you choose to join us, we will together discover the great blessings God wishes to shower upon us all.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Jeff Nicolas, Pastor of Saint Bernadette
Our Parish Mission Statement
We, the Catholic Community of Saint Bernadette, seek to strengthen our relationship with God and all people through acts of charity, justice, and love, proclaiming the Gospel, sharing the Eucharist and developing our ministries.
Our School Mission Statement
The mission of Saint Mary Academy is to educate students spiritually, academically, emotionally and socially through a curriculum rooted in the Roman Catholic faith. Students are educated in a manner which fosters academic excellence, provides a supportive atmosphere and develops students to be responsible, moral members of their church and community.
Feastday: April 16
Patron Saint of the sick, family, and holy poverty.
Birth: January 7, 1844
Death: April 16, 1879
Canonized by Pope Pius XI on December 1933
In 2007, the regional Catholic School of Saint Mary Academy was formed as a result of dialogue between the parishes of Immaculate Conception in LaGrange and Mother of Good Counsel. The name of the new school, Saint Mary Academy, was chosen because it honors Mary, who is both the Immaculate Conception and Mother of Good Counsel. Saint Bernadette was a covenant parish with Saint Mary Academy. At the end of the 2014-15 school year, Immaculate Conception withdrew from the covenant with Saint Mary Academy. Saint Mary Academy then became the parish school of Saint Bernadette.
Archbishop Kelly clustered Mother of Good Counsel (MGC) and Transfiguration of Our Lord (TOOL) on June 20, 2007. Fr. Herb Lattis retired and Fr. Bill Medley officially became the Pastor of TOOL and MGC. The merger creating a new parish would follow in 2008. On April 8, 2008, at the bicentennial celebration of the founding of our Diocese, four new parishes were formed: Blessed Theresa of Calcutta; Saint Bernadette; St. Peter the Apostle; and Good Shepherd. The name of our new church, Saint Bernadette, was chosen on the 75th anniversary of the Canonization of Bernadette as a saint and the 150th anniversary of the first apparition.
Seven acres of land were donated and five were purchased in the growing area of Norton Commons on the border of Oldham and Jefferson counties. The parish of Saint Bernadette would serve the peoples of Transfiguration of Our Lord, Mother of Good Counsel, and the growing Catholic population of this area.
Father Medley was appointed as the first pastor of the parish of Saint Bernadette. Father Bill Griner (a senior priest) was enlisted to assist and Deacons Dan Parker and Dr. Patrick Harris were assigned. After a long illness, Father Herb Lattis returned to his heavenly Father on April 16, 2008 and his was the first funeral in the newly formed parish.
On April 26, 2008, Archbishop Kurtz officiated at the Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Saint Bernadette Parish Center and Saint Mary Academy.
On August 19, 2009, classes began in the new Saint Mary Academy building.
On August 31, 2009, the parish staff moved into the completed Parish Center.
Saint Bernadette celebrated Mass on two campuses for the first 17 months. On September 19, 2009, members of the former Transfiguration of Our Lord and Mother of Good Counsel traveled to a new home in one location at Norton Commons. With crosses, Lectionaries, sacred vessels, and other treasured items brought from their two churches, parishioners of Saint Bernadette celebrated their first Mass together in the gym of Saint Mary Academy. In November 2009, the Building a Future of Hope (BFOH) 5-year campaign began. Initial schematics of the church to be built were presented to the parish.
Father Bill Medley was chosen to be Bishop on December 10, 2009, and he was ordained as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro on February 10, 2010. Father Terry L. Bradshaw was named Pastor of Saint Bernadette Parish on February 1, 2010.
In November of 2010, Voelker, Blackburn, and Niehoff Architects (designers of the Parish Center and Saint Mary Academy completed in 2009) unveiled the design of the church. Saint Bernadette would be the first new church construction in the Archdiocese in 20 years (St. Patrick 1993). The plans for the 31,000 square-foot church included 1,200 seats as well as a nave, narthex, chapel, classrooms, and various other needed spaces.
On May 15, 2011, Archbishop Kurtz officiated at the Site Blessing and Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Saint Bernadette Church. The new church was dedicated on April 21, 2013.
On October 15, 2015, Fr. Terry Bradshaw was called to serve as pastor at the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, KY. Fr. William Fichteman was assigned as Administrator pro tempore. He served until June 22, 2016, when Fr. Jeffrey Nicolas was named the new pastor of Saint Bernadette.
Saint Bernadette Catholic Church was founded on April 8, 2008. On May 15, 2011, Archbishop Kurtz officiated at a ground-breaking ceremony for Saint Bernadette Church. The dedication of the new church was held on April 21, 2013.
Bell Tower – The Bell in the Bell Tower is from Transfiguration of Our Lord in Goshen (prior to that it was at St. John, Jackson Street). The bell rings on the hour and prior to Mass as a call to prayer.Narthex/Gathering Space—The narthex or gathering space is where we prepare to enter God’s house. It is a place of community building and mission. There are several meeting rooms, a small kitchen, a nursery, restrooms, and the Day Chapel.
Baptismal Font – The Baptismal Font is located at the entrance of the Nave. This design is unique and purposeful to remind us that we are baptized into Christ, fed by the word and sacrament, strengthened, and sent forth on mission into the world. At Saint Bernadette, a lower font is used from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday, and an upper font is used throughout the rest of the year. The wooden cross on the floor covers the lower font. The cross is a compass with Christ guiding us always in the right direction. The letters INRI stand for Latin words that mean “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”. These letters were put on the cross that Jesus died on. There are 12 circles in the wood – a symbol of the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes of Israel.
Day Chapel – The Day Chapel is a place where people can come to pray quietly.
The Grotto in our chapel honors Bernadette Soubirous, who lived in a village in France called Lourdes. Mary appeared to Bernadette, a young girl, many times in Lourdes, and miracles of healing took place there. The Grotto in the Chapel is about 100 years old and was once in St. Phillip Neri Church.
The stained glass windows (added in 2015) depict the Candlelight Marian Procession that occurs each evening in Lourdes, France prior to the last Mass of the day.
The wooden statue of the Holy Family is from Mother of Good Counsel Church.
You will also notice two leather memorial books – one records all donations to the building of the church and the other records memorial gifts for those who have died and donations to the baptismal font (“Pennies for Heaven”). Nave – The nave is the big area in the church where God’s people gather for Mass. There is seating for 1200 people at Saint Bernadette. We enter in silence because we are entering a sacred space. The people are called the “Assembly” because we assemble for Mass. The pews are the seats where the people sit to listen to God’s Word and pray.
Reconciliation Room - It is here that we have the opportunity to tell God that we are sorry. We can talk to the priest about this either face to face sitting in chairs or we can use the screen if we feel more comfortable.
Sanctuary – This is the area all around the altar. The Baldacchino is the large fixed canopy over the altar.Altar – The altar is the table where the priest celebrates the Eucharist. The word Eucharist means “to give thanks”. Our altar is made of marble that came from Italy. All of the marble pieces you see in our church were used in another church before it closed, St. Vincent DePaul, here in Louisville.
Crucifix –The crucifix reminds us of Jesus’ great love for us. This crucifix came from the Mother of Good Counsel Church.Ambo – The ambo is where people read God’s word to us during the Mass. Do you see the Lamb on the front of the Ambo? Jesus is the Lamb of God; He sacrificed His life for us. Do you see the Greek letters Alpha and Omega on the sides of the Ambo? Jesus is the Alpha (beginning) and the Omega (end).
Choir area - To the left of the Sanctuary –– This is where the musicians and choir sit. What a gift it is to have beautiful voices to praise God and the talent to play an instrument to praise Him! The choir has a Choir Room behind this area where they can practice.
Sacristy – The sacristy is where the priest and ministers prepare for Mass. The altar servers, lectors, and Eucharistic ministers meet in the sacristy before Mass. Supplies like vessels (patens, ciborium, chalices), purificators, altar cloths, corporals, candles, etc. are kept here.
Reservation Chapel – The Tabernacle is in the Reservation Chapel. The Tabernacle is where the Eucharist is kept. The Sacred Body (blessed hosts) of Jesus is “reserved” here to take to the sick at home and in the hospitals. There is a lit candle beside it to show that Jesus is present there in
the Eucharist. A Reservation Chapel is “reserved” for those who wish to pray privately; the main area of the church is for public worship.
Statues of Mary/Joseph – Many churches have statues of saints. Almost every church has a statue of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. These saint statues remind us of the lives these holy people lived; they loved God very much and tried hard to be like Jesus.
Stations of the Cross – The Stations of the Cross are hanging on the wall. There are 14 stations. (Some churches have 15 stations, including the Resurrection.) These Stations of the Cross are from St. Vincent DePaul Church too.
Vestry (far right rear of church) – This is where the priest and deacons' vestments are kept. They wear different colors during the different Church seasons.
The role of the Finance Council is to advise the Pastor and Parish Council in matters of finance and in decisions involving the temporal goods of the parish. The Council is made up of parishioners who are skilled in financial affairs, and who can act as a consultative body to the Pastor. Meetings are held monthly, during which the Council will review of the month financial statements for both Saint Bernadette and Saint Mary Academy, review the annuals budgets, discuss capital projects, cash flow and other financial topics to help advise the pastor on financial matters. Internal Audits of the parish accounts are also conducted on a regular basis.