St. Bernard's Church, Gibraltar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Bernard's Church |
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Main entrance to St. Bernard's Church in its eastern façade
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| 36°06′51″N 5°20′54″W / 36.114299°N 5.348414°W | |
| Location | Europa Road |
| Country | Gibraltar |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
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| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar |
St. Bernard's Church is one of eight Roman Catholic churches in Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a British territory located at the southern tip of Spain.
Contents
About St. Bernard's Church
This church is found on Europa Road. It is very close to Europa Point, which is the southernmost part of Gibraltar.
St. Bernard's Church is a parish church. This means it serves a specific local area for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. The church is named after Bernard of Clairvaux. He is one of Gibraltar's two patron saints. From the church, you can see amazing views. These include the Bay of Gibraltar and North Africa. You can even see the Jebel Musa mountain across the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Church's Story
From Military to Community Church
St. Bernard's Church first began as a church for the British Armed Forces in Gibraltar. The military already had several Anglican churches for their soldiers. They decided they should also provide a church for the Roman Catholic soldiers.
A small, unused building was chosen. It was an armoury, which is a place where weapons are stored. This building was on Europa Road. It was turned into a simple church. Royal Navy Roman Catholic padres (military priests) led the services. Some Gibraltarian civilians also attended the church.
Becoming a Civilian Church
Later, the British Forces decided to make their facilities in Gibraltar more efficient. They realized that most people in Gibraltar were Roman Catholic. Also, church services were held in English. This meant that the Roman Catholic soldiers could attend other churches in Gibraltar.
However, St. Bernard's Church already had a strong community. Most of the people attending were Gibraltarian civilians. There were also some soldiers who were active members. So, it was decided that this community should not be lost. In the early 1990s, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar took over the church. A naval padre named Vincent Docherty helped arrange this transfer. He made sure the priest's house and church hall were also transferred.
Modernizing the Church Building
When Charles Caruana became the Bishop, the church got a loan. This loan came from the Government of Gibraltar. It was used to improve the church building. The old church was small and had problems with water leaking in. The loan helped turn it into a beautiful, modern church with all the necessary facilities.
First Civilian Priest
The first civilian priest to be in charge of St. Bernard's was Father Francis Little. He helped the church change from a military place of worship to a civilian one. Father Francis was also the first civilian priest to become an honorary chaplain to the forces. This means he was a special priest for the military, even though he was a civilian. Since then, the priest in charge of St. Bernard's has continued to hold this important role.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Bernardo (Gibraltar) para niños
