About St. Bernadette · Severn, Maryland
St. Bernadette is a Roman Catholic parish in Severn, Maryland (Anne Arundel County), in a pastorate with neighboring Christ the King Catholic Church in Glen Burnie. Founded in 1972 and seated at 801 Stevenson Road, the parish serves roughly 1,000 registered families with a vibrant liturgical life in both English and Spanish. Under the leadership of Father T. Austin Murphy Jr., St. Bernadette is known for its active lay participation, long-running justice and peace outreach, and commitment to serving the wider Anne Arundel County community through ministries such as St. Vincent de Paul, Prayer Shawl, and a sister-parish relationship with Our Lady of the Visitation in Haiti.
- Established
- 1972
- Patron
- St. Bernadette Soubirous
- Rector
- Rev. T. Austin Murphy Jr.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Bernadette is a parish where laypeople have historically run the show — from its first pastor Fr. Joe Connolly onward, members have been encouraged to take ownership of parish life. Today that means a vibrant liturgical schedule in English and Spanish, an active St. Vincent de Paul assistance ministry, a Prayer Shawl Ministry that comforts the grieving and sick, a Rosary Guild that has distributed more than 174,000 rosaries worldwide, and a sister-parish partnership with Our Lady of the Visitation in Haiti. For anyone in the Severn or greater Glen Burnie area looking for a Catholic community that pairs strong preaching and worship with hands-on outreach to the poor, the homeless, and the underserved, St. Bernadette offers a warm and well-organized home.
Mass times at St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
History of St. Bernadette Parish
St. Bernadette grew out of one of five mission communities ("Area E") created when Holy Trinity Parish in Glen Burnie was divided in 1972. The first liturgy was celebrated in 1969 in the auditorium of Archbishop Spalding High School, three years before the parish was formally established. From the 1970s forward, under pastors like Father Joe Connolly, the parish cultivated a strong culture of lay ownership and participation, with members shaping decisions about worship, outreach, and parish priorities. The parish grew to roughly 1,000 registered families and, in 2022, marked its 50th anniversary with a yearlong celebration led by longtime members Ann McDonald and Marge Sholl.
- First liturgy celebrated 1969 at Archbishop Spalding High School
- Formally established as a parish in 1972
- Spun off from Holy Trinity Parish, Glen Burnie, alongside the Church of the Crucifixion and the Church of the Good Shepherd
- Father Joe Connolly remembered as the 1970s pastor who instilled the belief that 'the parish belonged to the people'
- 50th anniversary celebrated in 2022
Parish Pastorate with Christ the King
St. Bernadette is part of a formal pastorate with Christ the King Catholic Church in Glen Burnie. Christ the King itself was formed in 2017 by merging the three legacy communities of Holy Trinity, Crucifixion, and Good Shepherd under Archbishop William E. Lori, taking the feast of Christ the King as its inaugural parish feast day that November. The two parishes share pastoral staff, faith formation, and a single website (CTKandSTB.org), while continuing to celebrate Mass at their own worship sites. Together the pastorate cares for approximately 4,000 families, with St. Bernadette serving the Severn community and Christ the King serving Glen Burnie.
- Christ the King parish formed in 2017 from three former Glen Burnie parishes
- Inaugural feast day November 5 (Feast of Christ the King)
- Pastoral staff shared across both parishes under Father Austin Murphy
- Combined pastorate serves approximately 4,000 families
Clergy, Deacons, and Parish Staff
St. Bernadette is led by Father T. Austin Murphy Jr., pastor since 2021, supported by four associate pastors and three deacons. Two of the associates — Fr. Diego Rivera and Deacon Jose Gabin — minister in Spanish, reflecting the parish's strong bilingual character. Fr. Luke Koski also serves as Director of Liturgy for the pastorate. Lay staff include directors of Youth Ministry, Faith Formation, Music, Safe Environment, Sacramental Coordination, and Parishioner Engagement, plus an Office Manager.
- Rev. T. Austin Murphy Jr. — Pastor
- Rev. Bienvenu Ilanga — Associate Pastor
- Fr. Diego Rivera — Associate Pastor (Spanish-speaking)
- Fr. Luke Koski — Associate Pastor / Director of Liturgy
- Fr. Vin Arisukwu — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Dan Miller — Director of Evangelization / Religious Education
- Deacon Jose Gabin (Spanish-speaking)
- Deacon Kevin Brown
- Pat Sprankle — Director of Youth Ministry
- Joyce Pagan — Director of Parishioner Engagement
- Geoff Rohrbach — St. Bernadette Music Director
- Scott Romanoski — Christ the King Music Director
- Airyn Sorto — Sacramental Coordinator (Spanish-speaking)
- Haley Flores — Safe Environment Coordinator (Spanish-speaking)
- Nancy Drew — Office Manager
Faith Formation and Education
Religious education for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, plus sacramental preparation for high school students, is coordinated by the parish's Director of Faith Formation. Volunteers serve as catechists, assistant catechists, prayer aides, office helpers, teen helpers, and hall/door monitors — all VIRTUS-certified in keeping with Archdiocese of Baltimore safe-environment requirements. Adult Faith Formation offers Bible studies, retreats, parish missions, days of reflection, and a 40 Hours Lenten retreat. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass for children ages three to six.
- Religious Education K–8 and Sacramental Preparation for high schoolers
- Children's Liturgy of the Word during the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass (ages 3–6)
- OCIA / RCIA for adults (English and Spanish tracks)
- Adult Bible studies, Advent and Lent days of reflection
- 40 Hours Lenten retreat with nightly conferences
Youth Ministry
St. Bernadette's Youth Ministry welcomes 6th through 12th graders, with separate middle-school and high-school tracks. Middle schoolers meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, and high schoolers gather for Tuesday evening sessions and Thursday small groups split by gender. The parish also sends a delegation to the diocesan Workcamp each summer, performing home repairs for families in need, and walks Confirmation candidates through a two-year process of formation, service, and retreat.
- Middle School Youth Ministry — 1st and 3rd Wednesdays
- High School Tuesday evenings and Thursday small groups (Guys / Girls)
- Annual summer Workcamp service trip
- Confirmation preparation with team leaders, two-year commitment
- Director of Youth Ministry: Pat Sprankle
Outreach and Social Justice
St. Bernadette has a long history of justice and peace ministry, including advocacy in civil rights and racial justice and ministry to gay and lesbian Catholics. The parish partners with My Brother's Keepers in Baltimore, contributes to the food pantry at St. Gregory the Great in Baltimore City, and serves as a rotating host for the Anne Arundel County winter relief program for homeless guests. Internationally, the parish supports its sister parish Our Lady of the Visitation in Haiti, whose donations fund a daily school lunch for students who otherwise might eat only one healthful meal a day.
- Justice and Peace Ministry
- Gay and Lesbian Outreach Ministry
- Partnership with My Brother's Keeper, Baltimore
- Winter rotating host for Anne Arundel County homeless shelter program
- Sister parish: Our Lady of the Visitation, Haiti (daily school lunch program)
Parish-Based Ministries
Several smaller ministries knit the parish community together. The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and crochets shawls on Wednesdays at St. Bernadette Hall from 10:00 AM to noon; each shawl is blessed and prayed over before being given to someone in grief, illness, or transition. The Rosary Guild, meeting at the Christ the King Parish Center Lounge, has made and distributed more than 174,000 rosaries to missions around the world. The Ladies Sodality (Blessed Virgin Mary), shared with Christ the King, gathers Catholic women to honor Our Lady, serve the parish, and foster fellowship through events like the May Procession and Annual Living Rosary.
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — Wednesdays 10:00 AM–noon at St. Bernadette Hall
- Rosary Guild — 2nd Monday at 1:30 PM at Christ the King Parish Center
- Ladies Sodality (Blessed Virgin Mary) — open to Catholic women age 15+
- St. Vincent de Paul Assistance Office — practical help for parishioners and neighbors in need
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joe Connolly1970s
Mentioned by longtime parishioners as the pastor in the parish's earliest years, remembered for instilling the conviction that 'the parish belonged to the people.'
- Fr. T. Austin Murphy Jr.2021–present
Current pastor; also pastor of Christ the King in the shared pastorate.
- Ann McDonald2008–2012 (pastoral life director)
Lay pastoral life director who ran day-to-day operations; one of only a handful of women in such a role in the Archdiocese of Baltimore at the time.