About St. Bernard · Appleton, Wisconsin
St. Bernard Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Appleton, Wisconsin, located at 1617 West Pine Street in the city's west side. It belongs to the Diocese of Green Bay and serves its parishioners through weekend and weekday Masses, the sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, and a range of outreach, formation, and parish-support ministries. The parish shares the wider Catholic school system of Appleton, with school-age families supported through the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System (SFXSS). Its mission, drawn from the parish website, is devoted to fostering 'households and communities of discipleship' as friends and followers of Jesus.
- Patron
- St. Bernard (of Clairvaux)
- Rector
- Rev. Paul Demuth (Priest Moderator/Celebrant)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Bernard offers a close-knit Catholic community on Appleton's west side with a full schedule of Masses in English, Saturday confession, weekday Liturgy of the Word with Communion, and Eucharistic Adoration. Parishioners can plug into faith formation for all ages, hands-on community outreach (helping the homeless, working poor, abused, and homeless students in Appleton public schools), and a wide range of practical volunteer roles — from the Garden Club to the SCRIP gift-card program. Families with school-age children are served through the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System.
Mass times at St. Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:15 PM (before the 4:30 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered (see parish calendar/website for current schedule)
Parish Leadership & Staff
Pastoral care at St. Bernard is shared between a Priest Moderator/Celebrant and a Deacon Pastoral Leader, a structure the Diocese of Green Bay uses in several of its Fox Valley parishes. The office manager and faith-formation contact round out the core parish staff, with parishioner volunteers serving in numerous support roles.
- Priest Moderator/Celebrant: Rev. Paul Demuth
- Pastoral Leader / Deacon: Michael Eash
- Deacon: Gregory Humpal
- Office Manager: Edna Ulrich
- Religious Education Contact: Debra Holzem (920-739-8912; [email protected])
- St. Vincent de Paul: [email protected]
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Bernard's Religious Education program supports parish families in forming their children in the Catholic faith. Registration and program information are handled by the RE contact. The parish also points school-age families to the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System (SFXSS), the Appleton-wide Catholic Pre-K-3 through 12 community to which St. Bernard belongs.
- Religious Education Office: 920-739-8912
- RE Contact: Debra Holzem — [email protected]
- St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System (SFXSS)
- St. Francis Xavier Elementary — Marquette Street Campus
- St. Francis Xavier Elementary — McDonald Street Campus
- St. Francis Xavier Middle School
- St. Francis Xavier High School (recognized among the top 50 Catholic high schools in the nation)
St. Bernard Community Outreach
Outreach is at the heart of St. Bernard's mission. The parish serves people who are homeless, abused, working poor, spiritually needy, or homeless students in the Appleton Public School District, and does so without distinction — 'because in them we see the face of Christ.' The outreach team keeps regular office hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 AM to 12 PM, and new volunteers are welcome at any level of time commitment.
- Outreach office hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Listening, advising, referring, and praying with those in need
- Collaboration with other parishes and people of good will
- Open to new volunteers and contributors
- St. Vincent de Paul contact: [email protected]
Parish Support Services & Volunteer Opportunities
Beyond direct ministry and outreach, St. Bernard runs a network of 'support services' that keep the parish office, grounds, and fundraising programs running. These flexible roles let parishioners help out on an as-needed, scheduled, or monthly basis — perfect for people with limited time who still want to be involved.
- Data Entry Helper — flexible, as-needed
- Receptionist — parish office
- Money Counter — Sunday mornings, ~2½ hours, 6×/year
- SCRIP Volunteer — gift-card sales, once/month, 20 min after Mass (contact Tim Welch, [email protected])
- Mail Crew — parish mailings
- Bulletin Stuffer — flyers and announcements
- St. Bernard Garden Club — landscaping and beautification (Building & Grounds subcommittee; contact Bob Hausserman, [email protected])
Sacraments & Devotions
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, with the most visible liturgical rhythm built around weekend and weekday Mass, Saturday Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration. The parish calendar also lists recurring devotional and formation events such as Morning Prayer with Communion and the Men's 4th Day Cursillo.
- Sunday & weekday Masses (see Mass Times)
- Sacrament of Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:45–4:15 PM
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Liturgy of the Word with Communion (Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 8:00 AM)
- Morning Prayer with Communion
- Men's 4th Day Cursillo
- Baptism, Marriage, and other sacraments — contact parish office 920-739-0331
Our Diocese — Diocese of Green Bay
St. Bernard Catholic Parish is part of the Diocese of Green Bay, covering sixteen counties in Northeastern Wisconsin and serving more than 360,000 Catholics. The diocesan cathedral is St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay. The diocese's stated mission, as echoed on the parish site, is to foster 'households and communities of discipleship' as friends and followers of Jesus — with a vision of missionary disciples leading all people to the Kingdom of God.
- Diocese of Green Bay
- Cathedral: St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, 139 S. Madison Street, Green Bay
- Sixteen-county region across Northeastern Wisconsin
- Diocesan mission: fostering households and communities of discipleship
- Vision: missionary disciples striving to lead all people to the Kingdom of God
- Learn more: gbdioc.org
Plan Your Visit
St. Bernard is located at 1617 W. Pine Street, Appleton, WI 54914-5118, on Appleton's west side. The parish office can be reached by phone at (920) 739-0331 or by email at [email protected]. The parish encourages visitors to call ahead for directions or to ask about any current changes to the schedule — the website notes 'Please check the calendar for changes.'
- Address: 1617 W. Pine Street, Appleton, WI 54914-5118
- Phone: (920) 739-0331
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stbernardappleton.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/stbernardappleton
- Tip: check the parish calendar for any schedule changes