About Saint Bernadette · Lancaster, Ohio
St. Bernadette Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Lancaster, Ohio, in the Diocese of Columbus, named for St. Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes. Founded in the late 1950s during the building boom that followed World War II, it was one of seven new churches erected under Bishop Clarence Issenmann's tenure to serve growing suburban populations in central Ohio. Located on Wheeling Road on the north side of Lancaster, the parish today offers Mass eight times a week, daily Eucharistic Adoration (including an overnight Holy Hour on Thursdays), a Catholic school (Pre-K through 8th grade), a Parish School of Religion program, and active outreach through St. Vincent de Paul, OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), and a respect-life cluster ministry with neighboring parishes.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. Bernadette Soubirous
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel W. Olvera
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
St. Bernadette is a small, welcoming parish with a daily rhythm of prayer that makes Catholic devotion accessible to working families: eight Masses a week (including a 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening Mass and a monthly First Thursday evening liturgy), daily Eucharistic Adoration, and an overnight Holy Hour every Thursday into Friday morning. It combines a Parish School of Religion program, a Pre-K–8 Catholic school, OCIA for adults, First-Saturdays/First-Fridays/First-Thursdays/First-Wednesdays devotional cycle, the Lancaster St. Vincent de Paul Society, and an active respect-life cluster ministry with neighboring parishes — giving newcomers many natural ways to plug in.
Mass times at Saint Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30 pm
- Saturday 8:30 am
- Saturday 3:00 pm
- Other times by appointment (call or email the parish office)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction and Reposition at 2:00 pm)
- Thursday 6:00 pm through Friday 8:00 am (overnight Holy Hour)
Mass and Worship Schedule
St. Bernadette Parish offers Mass eight times per week to accommodate working families and students. Sunday worship includes a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 pm, a Sunday morning Mass at 10:00 am, and a quiet Sunday evening Mass at 7:30 pm. Daily Mass is celebrated on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 8:20 am, on Saturday morning at 9:00 am, and on the First Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm. A special candlelit Latin-English Candlemas Mass, introduced by Father Olvera, has drawn over 300 worshippers.
- Saturday Vigil — 4:00 pm
- Sunday — 10:00 am & 7:30 pm
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday — 8:20 am
- Saturday — 9:00 am
- First Thursday of the month — 6:00 pm
First Saturday / First Friday / First Thursday / First Wednesday Devotions
The parish observes the traditional 'First Week' devotions cycle practiced widely in Catholic spirituality. These devotions offer parishioners structured opportunities throughout the month to honor the mysteries of the faith and receive associated indulgences.
- First Wednesday — Devotions in Honor of St. Joseph
- First Thursday — Devotions in Honor of Jesus Christ the High Priest
- First Friday — Devotions in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- First Saturday — Devotions in Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The Parish School of Religion (PSR) meets on Sunday mornings and serves students from preschool through Grade 8. The 8th-grade class prepares students for the sacrament of Confirmation, and all parish 8th graders — including those enrolled at St. Bernadette Catholic School — participate throughout the school year. The parish also offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), meeting Sunday mornings at 8:45 am in the Mary Good Center, for inquirers, sponsors, and Catholics who wish to deepen their understanding of the faith.
- PSR (Preschool–Grade 8) — Sunday mornings
- Confirmation preparation — 8th grade
- OCIA — Sundays, 8:45 am, Mary Good Center
St. Bernadette Catholic School
St. Bernadette Catholic School (1325 Wheeling Road, Lancaster) is an integral part of the parish community, providing religious and academic instruction from Pre-K through eighth grade. The school is accredited by the State of Ohio, meets all state curriculum requirements, and is part of the Diocese of Columbus school system. Religious instruction is integrated across the curriculum, with students attending weekly Mass and Benediction, monthly First-Friday Confessions, and celebrating First Reconciliation (December) and First Holy Communion (May) in second grade.
- Pastor: Rev. Daniel W. Olvera — 740-654-1893
- Principal: Rachel Cavello — [email protected]
- Secretary: Barb Huber — [email protected]
- School Nurse: Lisa Rookard, RN — [email protected]
- School Office: 740-654-3137
- Grades: Pre-K through 8
Music and Liturgical Arts
The parish choir and guest soloists provide music for weekend and holy-day liturgies and lead special Marian concerts such as 'Music for Mary.' During the June 2022 visit of St. Bernadette's relics, the choir sang a full concert of Marian hymns that was followed by the pastor's Litany of Loretto and a candlelit procession to the parish grotto. Parishioners Wes and Kelly Baker have led the congregation in chanting Latin Mass prayers at special liturgies such as the Candlemas Mass.
- Parish choir
- Marian concerts ('Music for Mary')
- Litany of Loretto with candlelight procession to the grotto
- Latin chant at special Masses
Outreach and Charity
St. Bernadette maintains active outreach through the Lancaster St. Vincent de Paul Society (424 Locust Street, Lancaster) and through Pro Vita, a cluster respect-life ministry that the parish co-founded with the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption (Lancaster) and St. Joseph (Sugar Grove). Pro Vita was launched under the blessing of Msgr. Craig Eilerman and Father Olvera in response to Bishop Earl Fernandes's pastoral vision for pro-life outreach in the Diocese of Columbus. The parish also maintains links with Pregnancy Decision Health Centers and other local Catholic apostolates.
- Lancaster St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Pro Vita respect-life cluster ministry
- Pregnancy Decision Health Centers
- Links to diocesan and USCCB resources
The 2022 Relic Visit and Parish Pilgrimage
From June 4 to 6, 2022, St. Bernadette Parish hosted a relic of St. Bernadette Soubirous (a fragment of her rib bone) as one of the stops on the first-ever U.S. tour of her relics. The relics, contained in a reliquary crafted in 2019 by master craftsmen of the Maison Granda workshop in Spain, were accompanied by Lourdes water and pieces of the Massabielle grotto rock. The visit included a Confirmation Mass celebrated by the newly ordained Bishop Earl Fernandes with the relics present, a 'Music for Mary' concert, daily Masses and rosaries, and a candlelit Litany of Loretto procession to the parish grotto. The Vatican granted a plenary indulgence to those venerating the relics on the tour.
- June 4–6, 2022 — relic veneration
- Confirmation with Bishop Earl Fernandes
- 'Music for Mary' Marian concert
- Litany of Loretto with candlelight procession to the grotto
- Plenary indulgence available to pilgrims
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Bernadette Parish is staffed by its pastor, Rev. Daniel W. Olvera, who was assigned in the Diocese of Columbus 2024 clergy assignments effective July 9, 2024. Rev. Michael Hinterschied is also listed at the parish in the diocesan priest directory. Parish Secretary Kathy Kehnast has been a public-facing staff member featured in communications about the parish's ministries and events. The parish offices share a campus with St. Bernadette Catholic School.
- Rev. Daniel W. Olvera — Pastor
- Rev. Michael Hinterschied — Parochial Clergy
- Kathy Kehnast — Parish Secretary
- Rachel Cavello — Principal, St. Bernadette Catholic School
History and Founding
St. Bernadette Parish was founded in the late 1950s under Bishop Clarence G. Issenmann, who served as the Diocese of Columbus's leader from 1957 to 1964. The parish was one of several established in that period to serve the post-World War II suburban expansion of central Ohio, alongside Gahanna St. Matthew, Heath St. Leonard, Lancaster St. Mark, and Reynoldsburg St. Pius X. Bishop Issenmann's tenure coincided with the Second Vatican Council, which he attended in its entirety and reported on for The Catholic Times.
- Founded: late 1950s (under Bishop Clarence G. Issenmann)
- Diocese of Columbus, established 1868
- Named for St. Bernadette Soubirous, visionary of Lourdes
- Companion parish: St. Joseph, Sugar Grove
Getting Involved
Newcomers are invited to worship at any of the eight weekly Masses, sign up for a Eucharistic Adoration hour, or join the OCIA process. Parents of school-age children may enroll in St. Bernadette Catholic School (Pre-K–8) or the Parish School of Religion (Sunday mornings). Outreach volunteers are needed for the Lancaster St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Pro Vita respect-life cluster. Those interested in music can join the parish choir; those interested in liturgical service can become lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, servers, or hospitality ministers.
- Mass attendance and Adoration
- OCIA (adult formation)
- PSR (children's formation)
- St. Vincent de Paul and Pro Vita outreach
- Liturgical ministries and choir
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Founding pastor (under Bishop Issenmann)c. 1959–early years
Pastoral leadership in the parish's founding era; specific name not verified in available online sources.
- Rev. Tyron J. Tomson2018–July 2024
Ordained 2011 (Diocese of Columbus); pastor of St. Bernadette while also serving as chaplain and teacher at Fisher Catholic High School. In July 2023 he was additionally named Administrator of St. Joseph, Sugar Grove. He received the relics of St. Bernadette Soubirous in June 2022 and was reassigned in 2024.
- Rev. Daniel W. OlveraJuly 2024–present
Pastor of St. Bernadette (and St. Joseph, Sugar Grove); formerly of St. Paul the Apostle. Announced new pastor at St. Bernadette in the Diocese of Columbus 2024 clergy assignments effective July 9, 2024.