About St. Bernadette · Hollywood, Florida
St. Bernadette Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Hollywood, Florida (Broward County), belonging to the Archdiocese of Miami. Founded in 1959 on 17 acres of pasture land along Stirling Road, the parish was named for Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the French visionary of Lourdes, and dedicated by Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll. It serves a multilingual community with Mass celebrated in English and Spanish, runs St. Bernadette Catholic School (Pre-K 2 through 8th grade) on the same campus, and is known for its annual parish festival/family festival, devotional life that includes daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a notable collection of stained glass windows honoring the Marian and Christological story.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- Saint Bernadette Soubirous (St. Bernadette of Lourdes)
- Rector
- Fr. Biju Vells
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami
Why belong here
St. Bernadette offers an unusually full devotional life for a South Florida parish — daily 8:00 am Mass in English, Monday-through-Friday Eucharistic Adoration from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Saturday morning confessions, a 12:00 noon Spanish Mass every Sunday alongside three English Sunday Masses, and an on-site Catholic school (Pre-K 2 through 8th grade) that was the first in the Archdiocese of Miami staffed entirely by lay teachers. Active parishioners keep the long-running parish festival/family festival going, support a St. Vincent de Paul Society, and run service projects with Habitat for Humanity and Bags N Stuff for children in foster care — making it an ideal fit for English- and Spanish-speaking families who want both traditional liturgy and a strong Catholic school and outreach identity.
Mass times at St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 8:30 am – 9:30 am
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Tuesday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Wednesday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Thursday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Friday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Parish History
St. Bernadette was established on May 14, 1959, when Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll of the Diocese of Miami designated 17 acres of pasture land at 7450 Stirling Road as the site for a new parish named for Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes. The men of the parish organized a Holy Name Society on June 23, 1959 — even before there was a church building — and held a parish picnic at Birch Taylor (Hugh Taylor Birch State) Park that drew more than 500 people. On November 8, 1959, a major fundraising campaign was officially launched; on Holy Thursday, March 30, 1961, founding pastor Father Robert A. Hostler celebrated the first Masses in the new church. The same year, an elementary school opened in a temporary building with grades 1–4 — the first in the Archdiocese of Miami to use an entirely lay faculty — graduating its first eighth-grade class in June 1964. As the community grew, parishioners organized the first annual Parish Festival in 1962, a tradition that continues today.
- May 14, 1959 — Archbishop Carroll designates 17 acres for the parish
- June 23, 1959 — Holy Name Society founded
- November 8, 1959 — Major fundraising campaign launched
- Holy Thursday, March 30, 1961 — First Masses in the new church (Fr. Robert A. Hostler)
- September 1961 — Elementary school opens in a temporary building (Grades 1–4)
- 1962 — First annual Parish Festival
- June 1964 — First eighth-grade graduating class; Fr. Hostler reassigned
- 1978 — Learning Center built
- 1982 — Permanent school building dedicated
- 1996 — Marian Center completed (Pre-K, Media Center, science/computer labs, Religious Education offices)
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
St. Bernadette celebrates Mass in English and Spanish, with a daily 8:00 am English Mass Monday through Saturday, a Saturday Vigil at 4:00 pm in English, four Sunday Masses (8:00 am, 10:00 am, and 6:00 pm in English, plus 12:00 noon in Spanish), and a televised Mass per the Archdiocese of Miami's broadcast schedule (Mon–Sat 11:00 am English; Sunday 11:00 am English and 12:30 pm Spanish). Confessions are heard Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 9:30 am or by appointment, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered every weekday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
- Weekday Mass: Mon–Sat 8:00 am (English)
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 pm (English)
- Sunday Masses: 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 6:00 pm (English); 12:00 noon (Spanish)
- Confession: Saturdays 8:30–9:30 am or by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration: Monday–Friday 9:00 am–3:00 pm
- Televised Mass: Mon–Sat 11:00 am (English); Sun 11:00 am (English), 12:30 pm (Spanish)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Fr. Biju Vells as Pastor and Fr. Pedro E. Torres Samudio as Parochial Vicar, with Francisco Pino serving as Coordinator of Religious Education. Additional parish staff include Karla Garcia and Donna Buschman (office), and a Bookkeeper. The pastor and parochial vicar also serve the parish school community, with Fr. Pedro E. Torres Samudio training altar servers and supporting school liturgies.
- Fr. Biju Vells — Pastor
- Fr. Pedro E. Torres Samudio — Parochial Vicar
- Francisco Pino — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Karla Garcia — Parish Staff
- Donna Buschman — Parish Staff
- Bookkeeper
St. Bernadette Catholic School
St. Bernadette Catholic School serves students in Pre-K 2 through 8th grade on the parish campus at 7450 Stirling Road. Founded in 1961 with grades one through four in a temporary building, the school became the first in the Archdiocese of Miami to employ an entirely lay faculty and graduated its first eighth-grade class in June 1964. A permanent school building was dedicated in 1982, and the Marian Center, completed in 1996, now houses the pre-kindergarten, the Media Center, science and computer labs, and the Religious Education offices. The school is accredited and offers core subjects (Religion, English Language Arts, Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies) along with special-area classes in Physical Education, Art, Music, and Foreign Language. All students attend weekly Mass on Fridays, with Grade 2 receiving First Penance and First Communion preparation and Grade 8 preparing for Confirmation. The school phone is 954-432-7022 and the email is [email protected].
- Grades served: Pre-K 2 through 8th Grade
- Founded 1961; first all-lay-faculty school in the Archdiocese of Miami
- Permanent school building dedicated 1982
- Marian Center completed 1996 (Pre-K, Media Center, science/computer labs, Religious Education offices)
- Religion classes K–2: 150 min/wk; Grades 3–5: 200 min/wk; Grades 6–8: 225 min/wk
- Weekly Friday school Mass
- First Penance/Communion in Grade 2; Confirmation in Grade 8
- Activities: Altar Servers, Children's Choir, Student Council, NJHS, Safety Patrol, Yearbook
- Phone: 954-432-7022 — Email: [email protected]
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Bernadette is offered through the parish school and through the Religious Education program coordinated by Francisco Pino. All school students receive daily religion instruction in age-appropriate increments, and parishioners of all ages are encouraged to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith through ongoing formation opportunities. Sacramental preparation for First Penance, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation takes place within the school for students in the parish school, with arrangements available through the Religious Education Coordinator for other students and adults.
- Religious Education Coordinator: Francisco Pino ([email protected])
- Daily religion instruction in the parish school (K–8)
- First Penance and First Communion preparation in Grade 2
- Confirmation preparation in Grade 8
- Sacrament sign-up form for non-Grade 2 and non-Grade 8 students
- Ongoing adult faith formation opportunities
Parish Life, Ministries & Outreach
Parish life at St. Bernadette centers on the Eucharist and on a wide network of ministries and social events. The Holy Name Society, founded in June 1959, evolved into the Men's Club and remains active in parish life. Liturgical ministries include choir, lectors, altar servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Social-justice and outreach ministries include visiting the homebound, serving the poor, volunteering at food pantries, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and parish participation in Habitat for Humanity and the Bags N Stuff campaign for children entering foster care. The annual Parish Festival / Family Festival / Carnival, first held in 1962, is the parish's signature community event and a major fundraiser.
- Holy Name Society (founded June 23, 1959)
- Men's Club (evolved from the Holy Name Society)
- Liturgical ministries: choir, lectors, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (St. Bernadette Conference, incorporated 1975)
- Habitat for Humanity volunteer team
- Bags N Stuff campaign for children entering foster care
- Visiting the homebound / sick
- Food pantry volunteering
- Youth Ministry
- Men's and Women's groups
- Annual Parish Festival / Family Festival / Carnival (since 1962)
Art, Architecture & Devotions
St. Bernadette's Romanesque-style church is celebrated for its stained-glass program and devotional atmosphere. Exposed roof jambs in the nave create what parishioners describe as a homey feel, and two sets of borders focus attention on the large central crucifix. The tabernacle is engraved with a victorious lamb — symbolizing the risen Christ — framed in olive branches of peace. The rose window depicts St. Bernadette kneeling before the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Lourdes grotto chapel behind them, while clerestory windows narrate the lives of Jesus and Mary (Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation, Flight into Egypt, Finding in the Temple, Pietà, Assumption). A chancel window shows the Eucharist (chalice, grape clusters, consecrated bread marked with crosses) alongside symbols of the Holy Spirit (dove), Christ (fish), the Cross, and the Prince of Peace (olive tree). A faceted-glass fleur-de-lis window marks the adoration chapel. Daily weekday Eucharistic Adoration from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm complements the regular Mass schedule and gives the parish a strong devotional identity rooted in Marian and Eucharistic piety.
- Romanesque architecture with exposed roof jambs
- Central crucifix flanked by decorative border sets
- Tabernacle engraved with a victorious lamb and olive branches
- Rose window: St. Bernadette kneeling before Mary at Lourdes
- Clerestory windows: Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation, Flight into Egypt, Finding in the Temple, Pietà, Assumption
- Chancel window: Eucharist, Holy Spirit dove, fish (Christ), Cross, olive tree (Prince of Peace)
- Faceted-glass fleur-de-lis window in the adoration chapel
- Daily Eucharistic Adoration, Monday–Friday 9:00 am–3:00 pm
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Robert A. Hostler1959–1964
Founding pastor; Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll designated the 17-acre site on May 14, 1959. Father Hostler celebrated the first Masses in the new church on Holy Thursday, March 30, 1961, and oversaw the opening of the parish school in September 1961 with grades 1–4. He was reassigned by the Chancery effective June 4, 1964, to become Pastor of St. Margaret Parish, Clewiston.