ABOUT

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.

Feastday: April 16
Patron Saint of the sick, of the family, and of holy poverty.
Birth: January 7, 1844
Death: April 16, 1879
Canonized by Pope Pius XI on December 1933

In 2006, all parishes in the Archdiocese were asked to examine the sharing of priests within the next few years and the better stewardship of resources by means of clustering or merging parishes.  At this time, Father Bill Medley was pastor of Mother of Good Counsel (MGC) and Father Herb Lattis was pastor of Transfiguration of Our Lord (TOOL).  There was discussion among priests, parish councils, and parishioners in parish-wide meetings. Various recommendations were gathered and evaluated by the Planning Commission of the Archdiocese for review by the Pastoral Council and the Priest Council, to generate a plan.   At their December 2006 meeting, the Priest Council recommended to Archbishop Kelly a plan that identified several parishes to be clustered and others to be merged.
 
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 MGC and 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.
 
Since Archbishop Kelly was nearing retirement, many of the Priest Council recommendations were left for the next Archbishop.  Archbishop Kurtz acted on four more of the recommendations within his first year.  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 75^th anniversary of the Canonization of Bernadette as a saint and the 150^th 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.
 
The Mission Statement of Saint Bernadette is as follows:  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.
 
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 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.