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St. Bernard Church
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St. Bernard Church - Watertown
114 S. Church St.
Watertown, WI 53094
Parish office phone: 920-261-7273
Email: [email protected]Parish Office hours
Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.Friday 8 a.m. to NoonMass times:Saturday 8:00 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.Sunday 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., & 1:00 p.m. (Spanish Mass)
Picturesque St. Bernard Catholic Church is located at the corners of W. Main and S. Church Streets, in the heart of the city of Watertown, Jefferson County, in the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin.
Formed in late January 1843, a 27'x36' white frame church was erected immediately South of the present church.
1n 1857, St. Bernard School opened. In 1870, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee entrusts the administration of St. Bernard Parish to the Holy Cross Fathers. Not long after, Fr. William Corby, C.S.C., the first Pastor of St. Bernard, begins planning for a new, much needed, larger church.
In 1873 the cornerstone was placed on the foundation of St. Bernard Church and the church was completed in 1876. The cornerstone came from the Rock of Cashel in Ireland, a gift from the people of that city. To the present day, many people who visit Ireland and go to the Rock of Cashel come to Watertown to look for the cornerstone. The final cost of the new church in 1876 was $100,000.
In 1892, the "Old School building" was constructed. In 1914, many of the church windows were replaced with brighter windows featuring the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints as well as Good Shepherd and Jesus with the Little Children. In 1920, the Holy Cross Fathers were temporarily replaced by priests from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. In 1928, the Holy Cross Fathers returned, receiving care of St. Bernard's "in perpetuity."
On January 9, 1946, the Diocese of Madison, which included Jefferson County, was formed by Pope Pius XII. In 1958, St. Bernard Parish purchased the Soliday House and one half of block of property and the house became a convent for the Sisters of St. Agnes. In 1960, an addition was added to the school and called the "new" school. In 1974 the St. Bernard steeple fire causes sensation in Watertown. In 1977 the back chapel was renovated and the organ was rebuilt and dedicated.
In 1980, the front deck, steps, and stone wall of the church were replaced. The Holy Cross Fathers left St. Bernard in June 1985, transferring administration to the Diocese of Madison. In 1987 a restoration of all the stained glass windows began. This process took over 10 years.
In 2000, the church stained glass window restoration was completed. In 2001-2002, the Sanctuary Murals were restored after having been painted over in the 1970's. In 2010, St. Bernard started the "Aspire" campaign with a goal to replace the church roof and repair the steeple.
In 2017, the interior of the church received new plaster and paint. In 2019, the front retaining wall and cement steps of the church were redone and a new front handicap ramp was installed. This same year saw a renovation of the Chapel. The same paint scheme in the Church, is used in the Chapel. In the summer of 2020 a Reredos was acquired and work began on remodeling the pieces. In 2021, the Chapel remodel was completed, the carpeting was removed in the Nave of the Church and replaced with porcelain tile. This same year saw air conditioning installed in St. Bernard and the Sanctuary was redone. As part of the Sanctuary redo, a new Altar, Reredos, Ambo, and Baptismal Font were also installed.
On October 1, 2024, St. Bernard canonically merged with St. Henry Catholic Church in Watertown, St. Mary Magdalene in Johnson Creek, and St. Francis Xavier in Lake Mills to become St. Therese of Lisieux Parish.
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