St. Bernard Church (Rockville, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Bernard Church |
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St. Bernard Church, January 2011
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| Location | 25 St. Bernard Terrace Rockville, Connecticut |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Dedicated | September 20, 1908 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Joseph A. Jackson |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Norwich |
| Province | Hartford |
St. Bernard Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Rockville, Connecticut. It is part of the Diocese of Norwich.
Contents
The Story of St. Bernard Church
Early Days and First Church
The story of St. Bernard Church began in 1848. Fifteen Catholic people living in Rockville met in a house. This house was owned by the Paper Mill Company. They gathered there to celebrate their first Mass.
By 1853, more and more Catholic families moved to Rockville. The group needed a bigger place to meet. They started using Skinner Hall. This hall was located above a meat market on Market Street. This was their last meeting spot before they found their current church location.
In 1854, the Parish of St. Bernard was officially started. Reverend Peter Egan became the first pastor. By 1856, the very first church building was finished.
A New Beginning After the Fire
Sadly, in 1904, the church was destroyed in a big fire. While a new church was being built, the people used the Town Hall for their worship services.
Just five months after the fire, a special ceremony took place. The cornerstone for the new St. Bernard's Church was laid. Soon after, a small chapel in the church basement was finished. People used this chapel for Mass and other services. They continued to use it until the main church upstairs was ready. The beautiful new church was officially opened on September 20, 1908.
The Church Buildings
The church building you see today was finished in 1908. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like old European cathedrals. A famous church architect named Joseph A. Jackson from New York City designed it.
Joseph A. Jackson had also designed the parish school in 1895. The parish convent, which is a home for nuns, was designed by a different company. This company was called Whiton & McMahon from Hartford, Connecticut. All three of these buildings are important parts of the City of Rockville Historic District.
Music at St. Bernard Church
St. Bernard Church once had a very old Austin organ. It was one of the earliest organs made by the Austin company. This organ had two keyboards and eight sets of pipes. Over time, the organ became old and stopped working well.
In 2008, a new digital organ was installed. It was built by the Rodgers Organ Company. The old pipes from the original Austin organ were kept. People hope that someday, the new organ can be connected to these historic pipes. This would allow them to use the sound of the original organ again.
