About St. Bernadette · Saegertown, Pennsylvania
St. Bernadette Church is a small Catholic mission church located at 222 Renner Lane in Saegertown, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Established in 1950 and named for St. Marie-Bernard (Bernadette) Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes, it has long served the Catholic faithful of the Saegertown community in rural northwestern Pennsylvania. For decades it operated as a secondary mission church of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in nearby Cambridge Springs. In July 2024, following the Diocese of Erie's pastoral restructuring plan issued by Bishop Lawrence T. Persico, St. Bernadette was folded into the newly expanded Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Edinboro, becoming a secondary church of that parish and continuing to be available for occasional weekday Masses, funerals, and weddings.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Bernadette Soubirous (St. Marie-Bernard) of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. Mark A. Hoffman
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Bernadette offers Saegertown-area Catholics an intimate, rural worship space dedicated to the Little Flower of Lourdes and rooted in more than seven decades of Eucharistic devotion. As part of Our Lady of the Lake Parish, it shares in ministries of faith formation, youth ministry (led by Mary Rose Shinsky), pastoral care and Catholic social outreach that span the Edinboro–Cambridge Springs–Saegertown corridor. Parishioners who visit can experience a weekday Mass in a quiet, traditional setting, while having the full sacramental and parish life of a three-church Catholic family just minutes away.
Mass times at St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday before 12:10 p.m. Mass
- By appointment
Welcome to Our Lady of the Lake Parish
Since July 9, 2024, St. Bernadette Church is one of three worship sites of Our Lady of the Lake Parish, alongside Our Lady of the Lake Church in Edinboro (the parish church) and Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Cambridge Springs (a secondary mission church). Our Lady of the Lake Parish is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, led by Father Mark Hoffman. The parish mission is to 'worship God and promote holiness of life through the celebration of the Sacraments, the sharing of the Gospel, the promotion of Catholic values and the offering of pastoral care through ministries that provide faith formation, healing, spiritual growth, and social outreach to the diverse communities of Edinboro, Cambridge Springs and Saegertown.'
- Our Lady of the Lake Church — Edinboro PA (parish church)
- Saint Anthony of Padua Church — Cambridge Springs PA (secondary mission church)
- Saint Bernadette Church — Saegertown PA (secondary church)
- Sacramental ministry at Pennsylvania Western University–Edinboro Campus
History of St. Bernadette
St. Bernadette was established in 1950 to bring the Sacraments to the Catholic families of Saegertown and the surrounding rural communities of Crawford County. For most of its existence it served as a mission church of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Cambridge Springs, sharing clergy and staff with that parish. Notable priests associated with St. Bernadette over the decades include Msgr. Henry J. Schauerman (Administrator while pastor of St. Agatha, Meadville), Rev. Raymond C. Gramata (who went on to pastorates in Sheffield and Bradford), and Rev. John R. Burke (Administrator, with chaplaincy duties at San Rosario Nursing Home).
- 1950 — Parish/mission established
- Mid-20th century — Long served as secondary mission of St. Anthony of Padua, Cambridge Springs
- 2017+ — Operated under Diocese of Erie pastoral planning
- May 7, 2024 — Bishop Persico announces merger of St. Anthony of Padua into Our Lady of the Lake Parish
- July 9, 2024 — Merger takes effect; St. Bernadette becomes secondary church (no regular Sunday Mass)
Clergy & Staff
St. Bernadette is shepherded as part of Our Lady of the Lake Parish by Rev. Mark A. Hoffman, appointed pastor effective July 9, 2024 and continuing through July 30, 2028. He also provides sacramental ministry at Pennsylvania Western University–Edinboro Campus. Deacon David Romanowicz serves the parish as Permanent Deacon. Parish-wide support staff include Josie Osiecki and Donna Roberti, with Mary Rose Shinsky serving as Youth Minister.
- Rev. Mark A. Hoffman — Pastor
- Deacon David Romanowicz — Permanent Deacon
- Josie Osiecki — Support Staff
- Donna Roberti — Support Staff
- Mary Rose Shinsky — Youth Minister
- Parish office: c/o Our Lady of the Lake Parish, 128 Sunset Drive, Edinboro, PA 16412 — (814) 734-3113 — [email protected]
Sacraments
Through Our Lady of the Lake Parish, the faithful receive the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The Eucharist is celebrated at St. Bernadette on Thursdays at 12:10 p.m., and at the other parish locations throughout the week. The Sacrament of Penance is offered at St. Bernadette on Thursdays before Mass or by appointment, and additionally Saturdays 3:00–3:45 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua, Cambridge Springs, and after the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Lake. Weddings and funerals may be scheduled at St. Bernadette by arrangement through the parish office.
- Eucharist (Holy Mass)
- Penance / Reconciliation
- Baptism (coordinated through parish office)
- Confirmation (coordinated through parish office)
- Marriage / Weddings (by arrangement)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders / Vocations (Diocesan contact)
Parish-Wide Ministries
Ministries are organized at the parish level and serve all three worship sites — Our Lady of the Lake, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Bernadette. They focus on faith formation at every age, youth ministry, pastoral care for the sick and elderly, and Catholic social outreach. The parish shares in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy as a single Catholic community across Edinboro, Cambridge Springs, and Saegertown.
- Faith Formation (children and adults)
- Youth Ministry (Mary Rose Shinsky)
- Pastoral Care
- Catholic Social Outreach
- Liturgical ministries supported by Deacon David Romanowicz
Contact & Visiting Information
Parish mail, phone calls, and email are routed through the Our Lady of the Lake Parish office in Edinboro. St. Bernadette's physical address remains 222 Renner Lane, Saegertown, PA 16433 (telephone 814-398-4234). The parish website at ololake.com is the central online hub for bulletins, Mass schedules, and announcements covering all three worship sites.
- St. Bernadette address: 222 Renner Lane, Saegertown, PA 16433
- St. Bernadette phone: (814) 398-4234
- Parish office: 128 Sunset Drive, Edinboro, PA 16412
- Parish office phone: (814) 734-3113
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://ololake.com
The Diocese of Erie & the Parish Restructuring of 2024
St. Bernadette is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, whose bishop is the Most Reverend Lawrence T. Persico. In April 2024 Bishop Persico, with the unanimous support of the Presbyteral Council, revised the Erie County pastoral plan: St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Cambridge Springs (which had administered St. Bernadette) would merge into Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Edinboro, effective July 9, 2024. Under the resulting structure, Our Lady of the Lake remains the parish church, St. Anthony of Padua becomes a secondary mission church with weekend Mass, and St. Bernadette becomes a secondary church — open for occasional weekday Masses, weddings, and funerals but without a regular Sunday schedule.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
- Bishop: Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico
- Decree issued: May 7, 2024
- Effective date of merger: July 9, 2024
- Pastor Fr. Mark Hoffman appointed: July 9, 2024 – July 30, 2028
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Henry J. Schauerman
Administrator of St. Bernadette while pastor of St. Agatha Parish, Meadville; made Monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1984; died Feb. 18, 2021.
- Rev. Raymond C. Gramata
Pastored St. Bernadette in Saegertown before moving to St. Anthony in Sheffield and ultimately St. Bernard Parish in Bradford.
- Rev. John R. Burke
Administrator of St. Bernadette Parish with chaplaincy duties at San Rosario Nursing Home; longtime Gannon College philosophy professor; retired from active ministry in 2008.
- Rev. Mark Nowakuntil 2024
Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Cambridge Springs, which oversaw St. Bernadette as mission church until 2024 merger.
- Rev. Mark A. Hoffman2024–present
Appointed pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish effective July 9, 2024, continuing until July 30, 2028; now oversees St. Bernadette as a secondary church.