About St. Bernadette · Fuquay Varina, North Carolina
Saint Bernadette Catholic Parish is a territorial parish of the Diocese of Raleigh serving southwestern Wake County, North Carolina, including Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, and the surrounding area. Founded in 1987 as a mission to serve migrant farmworkers in the area, it has grown into a multicultural community of roughly 2,800 registered families. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish each Sunday and is led by Pastor Father Bill John Acosta-Escobar, who was appointed in 2024. Its mission is built on four pillars drawn from Acts 2:42 — to Educate, Serve, Celebrate, and Welcome.
- Established
- 1987
- Patron
- Saint Bernadette (Soubirous) — the saint of Lourdes, chosen by the founding parishioners in part to recall the area's identity as historic Fuquay Springs.
- Rector
- Father Bill John Acosta-Escobar
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh
Why belong here
Saint Bernadette is a bilingual, mission-rooted Catholic parish that has grown from humble beginnings serving migrant farmworkers into a vibrant, multicultural home for roughly 2,800 families in Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs. It offers daily and weekend Mass in both English and Spanish, weekly Eucharistic Adoration and Saturday confession, a robust Faith Formation program for children and youth (Good Shepherd, First Communion, Post-Communion, and the FIAT youth group), and a wide network of service ministries including a parish food pantry (Martha's Ministry), Thanksgiving baskets, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, the Gabriel Project for crisis pregnancies, and a Bereavement Ministry. It is a parish where newcomers are welcomed into the family of God through Word, sacrament, and works of mercy.
Mass times at St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 6:30 PM (English)
- Friday 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM in the chapel
About Our Parish
Saint Bernadette Catholic Parish serves southwestern Wake County as a territorial parish of the Diocese of Raleigh, covering Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, and the surrounding communities. The parish traces its origins to 1987, when it began as a mission to serve migrant agricultural workers in the area; it has since grown into a multicultural home for about 2,800 registered families. Father Bill John Acosta-Escobar was appointed as pastor in 2024.
- Diocese: Raleigh
- Founded: 1987 as a mission
- Families: ~2,800 registered
- Pastor: Father Bill John Acosta-Escobar (2024–)
- Languages: English and Spanish
Parish Mission Statement
Rooted in Acts 2:42 — 'They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers' — the parish mission is built on four pillars: Educate, Serve, Celebrate, and Welcome. The parish seeks to educate parishioners of all ages in the Word of God through Scripture and the Magisterium, serve the wider community through stewardship, mercy, and outreach, celebrate the Eucharist and the other sacraments reverently, and welcome all to live as the family of God through fervent prayer and dedicated involvement.
- Educate — Word of God, Scripture, and the teachings of the Church
- Serve — works of stewardship, mercy, and outreach
- Celebrate — the Eucharist and the other Sacraments
- Welcome — live as the family of God through prayer and involvement
Parish History
From a borrowed sanctuary at Trinity Episcopal Church to a dedicated multi-acre campus on Wilbon Road, Saint Bernadette's history reflects the growth of southwestern Wake County itself. The founding generation chose the name Saint Bernadette to honor both the Lourdes saint and the area's heritage as Fuquay Springs. The parish's 30th anniversary history booklet (2017) preserves the full story, including the mission years (1987–1989), the move to independence under Sister Elizabeth McNeill, the building of the first church under Father 'Charlie' Mulholland, and the major sanctuary expansion dedicated on February 6, 2011 under Father Fernando Torres.
- April 1987 — first mission Mass celebrated at Trinity Episcopal Church, Fuquay-Varina
- Feb 1987 — Father Albert Todd (pastor of St. Mary's, Garner) begins offering Mass in English and Spanish
- June 1989 — Myrtle Hopson donates 10 acres; anonymous donor contributes $100,000 to building fund
- July 1989 — Sister Elizabeth McNeill appointed pastoral administrator by Bishop Gossman
- July 1, 1989 — Father Charles 'Charlie' Mulholland named first resident Parish Priest
- 1998 — Father Mulholland retires; Father Richard Doherty becomes second resident priest
- July 2010 — Father Fernando Torres named third resident Pastor; sanctuary expansion begins
- Dec 2010 — Masses return to expanded sanctuary
- Feb 6, 2011 — Bishop Michael formally dedicates the new sanctuary
- 2017 — 30th anniversary history booklet published
- 2024 — Father Bill John Acosta-Escobar appointed current pastor
Parish Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, five permanent deacons, and a full lay staff. The Faith Formation Office, Music Ministry, Social Outreach, and parish business operations each have dedicated staff members. Parishioners can reach individual staff directly through the parish office phone system using the extensions published on the website.
- Father Bill John Acosta-Escobar — Pastor
- Deacon Charles (Chuck) Zlamal — Marriage Coordinator (English)
- Deacon John Paul (Jack) Reichert
- Deacon Wendell Lowry
- Deacon Paul D. Coughlin — Marriage Coordinator (English)
- Deacon Juan Carlos Campos — Faith Formation Director ([email protected])
- William Joseph Vuncannon — Faith Formation Assistant Director
- Josef Cruz — Music Ministry ([email protected])
- Gloria Azcona — Social Outreach ([email protected])
- Andrew Pearce — Business Manager / Bookkeeper
- Christina Ramirez — Office Assistant
- Sandra Sereno — Data Entry / Realm
Faith Formation / Formación de Fe
Faith Formation is one of the four pillars of the parish mission. Programs are offered in English and Spanish for children and youth. The Faith Formation Office (Director: Deacon Juan Carlos Campos) is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Registration for the 2026–2027 cycle opens April 28 for returning students and May 17 for new students.
- Good Shepherd / Buen Pastor
- First Holy Communion / Primera Comunión
- Post-Communion / Post Comunión
- FIAT — Youth Group / Grupo Juvenil (Instagram: @stbfv.youth)
- Confirmation Works of Mercy / Obras de Misericordia para Confirmación
Service Ministries and Outreach
The Social Outreach Office (Gloria Azcona) coordinates a broad network of mercy and service ministries for parishioners and neighbors in need. Programs range from a parish-run food pantry and Thanksgiving baskets to interfaith partnerships like Habitat for Humanity. The office also supports community-service hours for students, honor society, faith formation, and minor legal infractions.
- Martha's Ministry Food Pantry — open Mon/Tue/Wed 9:30 AM–12:00 PM
- Thanksgiving Baskets — serves ~120 families and food-pantry clients each year
- Social Outreach — coordination with Catholic Charities and local non-profits; limited financial assistance, crisis intervention, short-term counseling
- Habitat for Humanity — monthly Saturday work days in Fuquay-Varina
- Meals on Wheels — Holly Springs / Willow Spring / Fuquay-Varina routes
- The Gabriel Project — crisis-pregnancy support
- PARE/STOP — domestic-violence education and advocacy
- Bereavement Ministry — funeral planning, columbarium, bereavement support
- Community Service Hours — school, honor society, faith formation, minor legal
Sacraments and Rites
Saint Bernadette celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The parish website has dedicated pages for Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation, and other sacraments with practical guidance for parishioners. Baptisms are scheduled through the parish office after a required preparation class.
- Baptism — pre-baptism class required (first Thursday of each month, 7:30 PM, social hall)
- Marriage — preparation begins at least 6 months ahead; coordinators: Deacon Chuck and Deacon Paul
- Confirmation — for youth through Faith Formation; for adults contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick and Funerals — contact the parish office
Parish Leadership — Pastoral and Finance Councils
Two councils advise the pastor and help steward the parish's mission and resources. The Pastoral Council reflects on matters essential to parish mission and programs, while the Finance Council oversees the budget and provides financial guidance. Both meet on the third Wednesday of each month in the Family Learning Center.
- Parish Pastoral Council — Jeanne Driver (Chair), Robert Kurucz (Vice Chair), Debbie Conley (Secretary), Dana Orr, Patti Espino, Galilea Ruiz
- Parish Finance Council — John Byrne (Chair), Mary Jo Hannon, Joe Langley, Patrick Pensabene
- Pastoral Council meets 7:00 PM, 3rd Wednesday, Family Learning Center
- Finance Council meets 6:00 PM, 3rd Wednesday, Family Learning Center
Contact, Visit, and Stay Connected
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed at Saint Bernadette. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and can be reached by phone, fax, or email. Faith Formation pages and Masses are offered in both English and Spanish. Sunday Mass in English (9:30 AM) and Spanish (1:30 PM) are live streamed on the parish's YouTube channel; youth ministry updates are posted on Instagram at @stbfv.youth.
- Address: 1005 Wilbon Road, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
- Phone: (919) 552-8758
- Fax: (919) 238-3363
- General email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Sunday Mass live stream: parish YouTube channel
- Youth Ministry Instagram: @stbfv.youth
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Albert Todd1987–1989
Pastor of St. Mary's in Garner who celebrated the first mission Masses at Trinity Episcopal Church in Fuquay-Varina in English and Spanish.
- Sister Elizabeth McNeill1989 (appointed)
Pastoral administrator appointed by Bishop Gossman after Father Todd's retirement; moved the project forward toward building and parish status.
- Father Charles 'Charlie' Mulholland1989–1998
First resident Parish Priest of Saint Bernadette; led the community through its earliest years as an independent parish.
- Father Richard Doherty1998–2010 (approx.)
Second resident priest of the parish.
- Father Fernando Torres2010–2024
Third resident Pastor; led the major sanctuary expansion that was dedicated by Bishop Michael on February 6, 2011.
- Father Bill John Acosta-Escobar2024–present
Current pastor.