About St. Bernard · Burkettsville, Ohio
St. Bernard Catholic Church (originally Saint Bernard Parish) is a historic rural parish at 71 West Main Street in Burkettsville, Ohio, founded in 1874 by six German pioneer families and dedicated in honor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church and devoted servant of the Blessed Mother. The present church building was completed in August 1924, and the parish has grown into a tightly-knit community of more than 200 families. Since 2004 St. Bernard has been served by the same pastor as the other parishes in what is now known as the St. Henry Cluster (St. Aloysius, Carthagena; St. Francis, Cranberry Prairie; St. Wendelin; and St. Henry), and in 2023 those four parishes were formally amalgamated into St. Henry Parish under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Today St. Bernard continues as a worship site of St. Henry Parish, offering weekday and Sunday Masses in the Roman-Latin rite.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew J. Hess (Pastor of the St. Henry Cluster / St. Henry Parish since July 1, 2021)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati)
Why belong here
St. Bernard is a small, family-style Catholic community with deep German-Catholic roots, where 200+ families worship in the same building that has served Burkettsville since 1924. As part of the St. Henry Cluster (now St. Henry Parish), it offers regular weekday and Sunday Masses, a Religious Education program for children, and a Parish Life Coordinator to walk alongside parishioners, while also sharing in a wider cluster of five churches with abundant Mass, confession, and Eucharistic Adoration opportunities. Visitors can expect the warm welcome typical of rural Ohio Catholic parishes — funeral lunches prepared by a dedicated committee, accessible facilities, and a tightly-knit congregation that still remembers the six pioneer families who began it all.
Mass times at St. Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday at St. Bernard: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (per Discover Mass)
- Sunday at St. Bernard: 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM (per Discover Mass)
- Cluster-wide (at St. Henry): Tuesday and Thursday evenings 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM (7:00 PM during Advent)
- Cluster-wide (at St. Henry): Wednesday 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
- Cluster-wide (at St. Henry): Saturday 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
- Cluster-wide (at St. Henry): Sunday 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- Monday–Friday at St. Henry: after morning Mass
Adoration times
- Cluster-wide Eucharistic Adoration (at St. Henry) — available beginning from 8:00 AM
- Eucharistic Adoration (cluster-wide): Monday–Friday after morning Mass
- Tuesday at St. Henry: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
About St. Bernard Catholic Church, Burkettsville
St. Bernard is a historic Catholic parish in the village of Burkettsville, Ohio, in south central Mercer County. Founded in 1874 by six German pioneer families, the parish is dedicated to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church and celebrated servant of the Blessed Mother. The present church building, completed in August 1924, has grown through several renovations to serve a community of more than 200 families. In 2023 St. Bernard was formally amalgamated — together with St. Aloysius (Carthagena), St. Francis (Cranberry Prairie), and St. Wendelin — into St. Henry Parish under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, while continuing to operate as a worship site.
- Founded 1874 by six German pioneer families
- Present church completed August 1924
- 200+ registered families
- Patron: St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church
- Now part of St. Henry Parish (Amalgamation Decree, 2023)
History and Heritage
Saint Bernard Parish was born of a 1874 petition from six German pioneer families who wanted a Catholic church in their Burkettsville farming community. Over the next half-century the congregation grew steadily, and the current church building was dedicated in August 1924. Subsequent renovations have expanded the church to meet the needs of today's 200+ families. The parish has been served by the same pastor as the neighboring St. Aloysius, St. Francis, St. Wendelin, and St. Henry parishes since 2004, and on September 11, 2023 — after consultation with the Presbyteral Council — Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr decreed that the four parishes be amalgamated into St. Henry Parish, preserving St. Bernard as a continuing place of worship.
- 1874: Six German pioneer families petition for a parish church
- 1924: Present church building completed in August
- 2004: Cluster begins sharing one pastor across all five parishes
- September 11, 2023: Presbyteral Council consultation
- 2023: Decree of Amalgamation into St. Henry Parish issued
- Listed by GCatholic as a Historic Catholic Church in the USA
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Bernard is led by the pastor of the St. Henry Cluster (St. Henry Parish), supported by a parochial vicar, a Parish Life Coordinator, and key lay leaders for Religious Education and parish hospitality.
- Pastor: Rev. Andrew J. Hess (since July 1, 2021)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Louis P. Jacquemin
- Parish Life Coordinator: Jenny Miller — (937) 417-5630
- St. Bernard Religious Education: Sarah Niekamp
- Funeral Lunch Committee: Marie Heitkamp, Julia Meyer
- Basement Rental: Contact the parish office at (419) 678-4118
- Prior Parochial Administrator: Rev. James Gaynor, C.PP.S. (Feb 10 – June 30, 2021)
- Prior Parochial Vicar: Rev. David Hoying, C.PP.S.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
St. Bernard's Religious Education program, led by Sarah Niekamp, prepares the parish's children for the sacraments and accompanies families in passing on the Catholic faith. Sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation), along with youth ministry and family catechesis, is offered across the St. Henry Cluster under the Archdiocese's 'Beacons of Light' Families of Parishes model.
- St. Bernard Religious Education — Sarah Niekamp
- Sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation)
- Cluster-wide youth ministry
- RCIA / adult faith formation (cluster)
- Parish Council and Finance Council (cluster)
Parish Life and Outreach
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, St. Bernard maintains the kind of warm, practical parish life that small rural Catholic communities are known for — funeral meals prepared by a dedicated volunteer committee, a church basement available for parish and family events, and a Parish Life Coordinator who serves as a steady point of contact for parishioners and visitors alike.
- Parish Life Coordinator: Jenny Miller (937-417-5630)
- Funeral Lunch Committee: Marie Heitkamp and Julia Meyer
- Church basement available for rental (contact parish office, 419-678-4118)
- Restrooms in the church basement, along the west wall near the kitchen
- Basement accessible from both east and west entrances to the church
Visiting St. Bernard — Location and Access
St. Bernard sits on West Main Street in the small village of Burkettsville, at the heart of south central Mercer County's rural Catholic community. The church is easy to reach by car from nearby state routes, and the parish notes that weekday Mass moves to St. Francis when Mercer County issues a snow Level 2+ emergency, with weekend changes announced on WSCM radio and cluster social media.
- Address: 71 West Main Street, Burkettsville, OH 45310
- Driving directions: US 127 N → SR 705 W → SR 118 N → 319 W → church on right
- Restrooms: church basement, west wall (near kitchen)
- Confessional: back, southwest corner of the church
- Basement rental inquiries: (419) 678-4118
- Snow emergency protocol: weekday Mass at St. Francis when Mercer County is Level 2+
St. Bernard as Part of the St. Henry Cluster (Beacons of Light)
Since 2004 St. Bernard has shared a pastor with St. Aloysius (Carthagena), St. Francis (Cranberry Prairie), St. Wendelin, and St. Henry. Under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's 'Beacons of Light' realignment, the five parishes were organized as Northwest 3 of the new Families of Parishes, with Rev. Andrew J. Hess as pastor and Rev. Louis P. Jacquemin as parochial vicar. In 2023 the four parishes other than St. Henry were formally amalgamated into St. Henry Parish in an extinctive union — preserving each church, including St. Bernard, as a continuing place of Catholic worship and community life.
- Cluster includes St. Aloysius, St. Bernard, St. Francis, St. Wendelin, and St. Henry
- Northwest 3 — Beacons of Light Families of Parishes
- Pastor: Rev. Andrew J. Hess
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Louis P. Jacquemin
- Decree of Amalgamation into St. Henry Parish, 2023
- Presbyteral Council consulted September 11, 2023
Contact and Office Hours
Parish business for St. Bernard is handled through the St. Henry Cluster office. Office hours run weekdays with a midday closure, and the office is closed on Holy Days and holidays.
- Mailing address: 71 West Main St., Burkettsville, OH 45310
- Phone: (419) 678-4118
- Cluster email: [email protected]
- Parish Life Coordinator: Jenny Miller — (937) 417-5630
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 12:45 PM – 4:30 PM
- Office hours Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Closed on Holy Days and Holidays
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James Gaynor, C.PP.S.February 10, 2021 – June 30, 2021
Parochial Administrator of the St. Henry Cluster (including St. Bernard, Burkettsville) prior to the assignment of Fr. Hess.
- Rev. David Hoying, C.PP.S.prior to July 1, 2021
Served as Parochial Vicar of the St. Henry Cluster (which includes St. Bernard).
- Rev. Andrew J. HessEffective July 1, 2021 – present
Pastor of St. Henry Cluster, which comprises St. Aloysius (Carthagena), St. Bernard (Burkettsville), St. Francis (Cranberry Prairie), St. Wendelin, and St. Henry. Remains pastor of the amalgamated St. Henry Parish under the 2023 decree.