About Saint Bernard · Wabash, Indiana
Saint Bernard Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Wabash, Indiana, belonging to the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend. Founded in 1864 to serve the German and Irish Catholic families along the Wabash River, it is the oldest Catholic congregation in Wabash County. The parish operates its own parish school (Saint Bernard Catholic School, est. 1922) and its current church, completed in 1953, is a modified-Gothic landmark of Indiana limestone crowned with Vermont slate and adorned with stained glass designed by Erhard Stoetner and marble fabricated in Petra Santa, Italy. Today the parish is led by Fr. Jay Horning and continues a long tradition of weekend and daily Masses, regular confession, a school faith formation program, and outreach in the Wabash community.
- Established
- 1864
- Patron
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (Doctor of the Church; 'Last of the Fathers')
- Rector
- Rev. Jay (Fr. Jay) Horning
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend (Roman-Latin Rite)
Why belong here
Saint Bernard is a historic, walkable downtown Wabash parish with a beautiful 1953 Indiana-limestone church renowned for its catechetical stained-glass windows and a rose window honoring Our Lady. Families get a rare combination: a parish school (St. Bernard Catholic School, est. 1922, fully accredited through AdvancEd with a 14:1 student-teacher ratio) rooted in Catholic identity, daily and weekend Masses, six regular weekly confession slots, and the warmth of a congregation that has served Wabash for more than 160 years. The parish also lives out its faith concretely — opening its doors as a shelter during the 2013 floods and continuing active outreach, faith formation, and liturgical ministries today.
Mass times at Saint Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 4:45 pm – 5:15 pm
- Wednesday 4:45 pm – 5:15 pm
- Friday 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm
- Saturday 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
- 1st Saturday 9:30 am – 10:00 am (after the 9:00 am Mass)
- By appointment (call the rectory)
History of St. Bernard Parish
Catholic life in Wabash predates the parish by three decades. Fr. Stephen Theodore Badin — the first priest ordained in the United States — visited the town of Wabashtown on September 23, 1834, and acquired lots there. Wabash was served as a mission from St. Patrick's, Lagro, until 1862, when Fr. John Ryan began offering Mass in the home of John Ivory for about 35 German and Irish Catholics. With Bishop John Henry Luers's consent, Fr. Ryan laid the foundation of St. Bernard's Church at 429 W. Maple Street in 1864; the brick structure was completed in 1871, with Fr. Frederick C. Wiechmann becoming the first resident pastor that February. A 1900 exchange moved the parish to the corner of Sinclair and Cass, and the present Indiana-limestone church on the corner of Cass and Wabash Streets was dedicated Easter Sunday 1953. The parish school opened in 1922 under the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton and will mark a century of Catholic education in Wabash. In 2014 Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades joined the parish for its 150th anniversary Mass.
- 1834: Fr. Stephen Theodore Badin visits Wabash
- 1862: Fr. John Ryan begins mission Masses
- 1864: Foundation of St. Bernard's at 429 W. Maple St.
- 1871: Brick church completed; Fr. Wiechmann first resident pastor
- 1877: First school attempted (discontinued after one year)
- 1900 (April 17): Property exchanged for the former Methodist church at Sinclair and Cass
- 1900 (Sept. 24): Second church dedicated
- 1922: Parish school opened by Sisters of St. Joseph, Tipton
- 1951: Old convent razed; new school built (141 students, four rooms)
- 1953 (Easter Sunday): Present Indiana-limestone church dedicated
- 1961: Four additional classrooms added
- 1966: New convent erected; parish debt greatly reduced
- 1968: School reduced to six grades due to shortage of religious Sisters
- 2013: Parish opens as flood shelter for the community
- 2014: 150th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Rhoades
Architecture & Sacred Art
The present church, completed for Easter 1953, is a modified-Gothic building of Indiana limestone with a variegated Vermont-slate roof. The interior, seating 324, is finished with marble fabricated in Petra Santa, Italy, and a marble altar that contains relics of St. Donatus and St. Victoria. Architect A.F. Moratz of Bloomington, Illinois, designed the building; James I. Barnes Construction Company of Logansport built it. Erhard Stoetner — trained in Munich — designed all the stained glass, which was manufactured by the T.C. Esser Company of Milwaukee. The stained-glass cycle is catechetical (Genesis to Revelation, in the words of a former pastor) and culminates in a 15-by-10-foot rose window in the south wall depicting scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron's great devotion.
- Indiana limestone exterior, modified Gothic style
- Vermont slate roof (variegated colors)
- Seating capacity: 324
- Marble fabricated in Petra Santa, Italy
- Relics of St. Donatus and St. Victoria in the marble altar
- Architect: A.F. Moratz, Bloomington, IL
- Builder: James I. Barnes Construction Co., Logansport, IN
- Stained-glass designer: Erhard Stoetner (Munich-trained)
- Stained-glass manufacturer: T.C. Esser Company, Milwaukee, WI
- 15 × 10 ft rose window — scenes from the life of Mary (south wall, choir loft)
Saint Bernard Catholic School
Founded in 1922 and staffed for most of its history by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, Saint Bernard Catholic School now serves preschool through 6th grade on the parish campus at 191 N Cass St. The school is fully accredited through AdvancEd, ranks an A or B school by the Indiana Department of Education 15 of the past 15 years, has a 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and welcomes students of 12 religious affiliations — over 84% of whom receive financial aid. Daily religion class and weekly Mass are central to school life.
- Founded 1922 by Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton
- Present school building erected 1951; four rooms added 1961
- Preschool through 6th grade
- Accredited by AdvancEd
- 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio
- 12 religious affiliations represented
- 84%+ of students receive financial aid
- Ranked A/B by IDOE 15 of past 15 years
- Robotics Club, Battle of the Books, Kiwanis Spelling Bee, hoop shoot, science fair
- 1-to-1 computers and Google Classroom
- Walking field trips to Honeywell Center, museum, bowling alley, city park, Carnegie Public Library
Parish Staff
The parish and school staff serve the congregation and school families out of the shared campus at 207 N Cass Street / 191 N Cass Street, Wabash, IN.
- Rev. Jay Horning — Pastor (parish priest of the school)
- Abigail Stanley — Principal
- Ann Unger — Parish Secretary
- Angela Zumbaugh — School Secretary
- Samantha Smith — Business Associate
- Nick Baucco — Maintenance
- School staff: Allie Juarez (PreK), Angie Benner (K), Katie Denger (1st), (2nd grade teacher), (3rd & 4th grade), (5th grade), Summer Lothridge (6th grade), Terry LeMaster (Music), Libby Schuler (Art), Sara Karst (Religion), Shane Smith (PE/Athletics)
Liturgical Ministries & Formation
Beyond Mass and Confession, the parish runs ongoing formation for lay liturgical ministers, an RCIA / 'Becoming Catholic' process, and the parish school religion program. Lector and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion training and commissioning are scheduled periodically.
- Lector training & commissioning (periodic)
- EMHC training & commissioning (periodic)
- Becoming Catholic / RCIA
- Parish school religion program
- School weekly Mass
Outreach & Community Life
Saint Bernard's identity includes a strong tradition of welcoming the wider Wabash community. Most notably, during the 2013 floods the parish opened its doors as a food and shelter site for displaced residents of any background — an act remembered as one that 'brought the community together, not just Catholics.'
- 2013 Wabash flood shelter response
- Funeral hospitality tradition (Rosary at visitation, parish funeral Mass)
- Hospitality for non-Catholic neighbors and visitors
Visit, Contact & Hours
The parish offices sit at 207 N Cass St., Wabash, IN 46992, on the corner of Cass and Sinclair, a quarter block north of the railroad tracks in downtown Wabash. The school shares the 200 block of Cass Street at 191 N Cass St.
- Church address: 207 N Cass St., Wabash, IN 46992
- School address: 191 N Cass St., Wabash, IN 46992
- Phone: 260-563-4750 (Church Ext. 3, School Ext. 4)
- Parish office hours: Mon–Wed 9–4, Fri 9–3 (closed Thursday)
- School office hours: Mon–Fri 7:30 am – 3:30 pm
- Website: stbwabash.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernard Kroeger1862–1866
Early priest serving the Wabash mission
- Rev. George Steiner1866–1868
- Rev. Matthew E. Campion1868–1873
- Rev. Frederick C. Wiechmann1871–1879
First resident pastor (1871); served St. Patrick's, Lagro, and Wabash as mission church
- Rev. Michael M. Hallinan1879–1881
- Rev. John H. Bathe1881–1898
Built new rectory adjacent to the church at Minor and Fisher Streets
- Rev. Peter J. Crosson1898–1900
- Rev. Robert J. Pratt1900–1910
Led the 1900 exchange of the Maple Street property for the former Methodist church at Sinclair and Cass
- Rev. William D. Sullivan1910–1921
- Rev. Edmund A. Ley1921–1932
Founded the parish school in 1922 with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton
- Rev. Charles J.A. Scholl1932–1940
- Rev. Leo A. Hoffmann1940–1956
Razed the old convent and built the present school (1951); razed the old church and oversaw construction of the present church (dedicated Easter 1953)
- Rev. Robert J. Zahn1956–1976
Added four school classrooms (1961); built new convent (1966); assumed St. Patrick, Lagro (1956); founded St. Robert Bellarmine Mission in North Manchester (1958); reduced school to six grades (1968)
- Fr. James Bartels
Associate Pastor assisting Fr. Zahn
- Fr. Adam Schmitt
Associate Pastor assisting Fr. Zahn
- Msgr. John Suelzer
Associate Pastor assisting Fr. Zahn
- Rev. Eugene Zimmerman1976–1982
- Rev. William Kummer1982–1985
Later assisted at the parish after retirement (e.g., 2026 funeral Mass)
- Rev. Daniel E. Peil1985–1993
- Rev. Timothy A. Wrozek1993–2001
- Rev. Sextus Don2001–2018
Salesian of Don Bosco; assigned by Bishop John M. D'Arcy; ordained in Sri Lanka in 1979
- Rev. Levi Nkwocha2018–2022
- Rev. Jay Horning2022–present
Current pastor