St. Bernard Church (Rockville, Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
St.Bernard is a Roman Catholic church in Rockville
, Connecticut
, part of the Diocese of Norwich
.
By 1853 local growth of Catholicism was such that a larger facility was needed. Skinner Hall located over the Meat Market on Market St. became the last place to attend Mass before present site was acquired. 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 totally destroyed in a disastrous fire. The Town Hall was used 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 5 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.
of New York. Jackson had already designed the parish school in 1895. The parish convent was designed by the firm of Whiton and McMahon
of Hartford, Connecticut
. All three buildings are listed as significant contributing properties of the City of Rockville Historic District.
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.
Rockville, Connecticut
Rockville is a census-designated place and a village of the town of Vernon in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,708 at the 2000 census...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, part of the Diocese of Norwich
Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory or diocese in Connecticut in the northeastern United States. It was erected on August 6, 1953 by Pope Pius XII....
.
History
In 1848 the first Catholic Mass in Rockville CT was celebrated by 15 Catholics in a house owned by the Paper Mill Company.By 1853 local growth of Catholicism was such that a larger facility was needed. Skinner Hall located over the Meat Market on Market St. became the last place to attend Mass before present site was acquired. 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 totally destroyed in a disastrous fire. The Town Hall was used 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 5 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. JacksonJoseph A. Jackson
Joseph A. Jackson was an American architect who designed many buildings for Roman Catholic clients in the Eastern United States, especially Connecticut.-Early life and education:...
of New York. Jackson had already designed the parish school in 1895. The parish convent was designed by the firm of Whiton and McMahon
John J. McMahon (architect)
John J. McMahon was an American architect who even today remains highly regarded for his churches, schools and other buildings for Catholic clients in Connecticut, especially Hartford and New Haven.-Early life and architectural training:...
of Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. 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, 2 manuals and 8 ranks. The instrument deteriorated over time and in 2008 it gave way to a digital instrument built by the Rodgers Organ CompanyRodgers Instruments
Rodgers Instruments Corporation is an American manufacturer of classical and church organs. Rodgers was founded in 1958 by Rodgers W. Jenkins and Fred Tinker, employees of Tektronix, Inc., of Portland, Oregon, and members of a Tektronix team developing transistor-based oscillator circuits...
of Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
. 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.