About St. Bernard · Bushnell, Illinois
St. Bernard Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Bushnell, Illinois, established in 1857 by Father Charles Schilling and serving the small farming community of western Illinois. It belongs to the Diocese of Peoria and is currently linked with Sacred Heart in Abingdon and St. Augustine in St. Augustine. The present church building was constructed beginning in May 1952 and dedicated on April 19, 1953 by Bishop Cousins of Peoria after a December 1951 fire destroyed the previous structure.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- Rector
- Rev. Eugene Radosevich
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Bernard offers the warmth of a small, long-established rural parish rooted in western Illinois since 1857, where the same families that founded the faith community still represent its backbone. Linked with Sacred Heart in Abingdon and St. Augustine in St. Augustine, the parish draws together worshippers from a wide agricultural region around Bushnell and provides the traditional Roman liturgical life centered on the Eucharist, the sacrament of reconciliation, and the parish's distinctive Demmer pipe organ. Visitors and parishioners alike encounter a welcoming Catholic community that has weathered hardship, including the 1951 church fire, by rebuilding together.
Mass times at St. Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Bernard Parish
St. Bernard Catholic Parish was founded in 1857, the same year Bushnell was platted, when Father Charles Schilling, pastor at Nauvoo, celebrated the first Mass in the Hoing family home in the north part of the city. Early Catholic families — the Hoings, Litchendahls, Marks, Kleins, Begins, and Earlys — worshipped in private homes, in temporary chapels through the 1870s, and later in the upper floor of the Crane Store at the corner of West Main and Hurst Streets. The parish had its first resident pastor, Father James Tuohy, by 1877. Around 1907, under Father Thomas Madden, the parish was renamed St. Bernard in honor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and to commemorate Father Madden's own deceased older brother; it had about 30 families at the time.
The 1951 Fire and the Present Church
On the morning of December 20, 1951, neighbors spotted smoke pouring from the church building. Father Michael Van Raes was awakened and rushed into the burning structure to rescue the Blessed Sacrament and important sacred vessels; the church was, however, a total loss. Construction of the present building began on May 20, 1952, and the new church was solemnly dedicated on April 19, 1953 by Bishop Cousins of the Diocese of Peoria. The interior includes a fine pipe organ donated by Dale Demmer, a well-known organ builder.
- December 20, 1951 — fire destroys the original church
- May 20, 1952 — groundbreaking for the present church
- April 19, 1953 — dedication by Bishop Cousins
- Pipe organ donated by Dale Demmer
Mission and Daughter Parishes
St. Bernard served as the mother parish for surrounding rural Catholic communities. In 1907, with St. Bernard's elevation to parish status, the Catholic mission at Rushville was designated as an out-mission (eventually becoming the parish of St. Rose of Lima in 1960). Pastors John Gordon, Michael Van Raes, and Heinc Ciesielski tended the Rushville mission alongside their duties at Bushnell during the 1940s and 1950s. Many official records of those early missions were lost in subsequent fires at the Bushnell parish, accounting for gaps in the historical record.
Rectory and Parish Facilities
A handsome two-story rectory was constructed on the parish grounds in 1916 to provide housing for the priests serving Bushnell and surrounding missions. The parish continues to be served from its location at 376 W. Hail Street, Bushnell.
- Rectory built 1916
Diocese and Linked Parishes
St. Bernard is a parish of the Diocese of Peoria and is currently administered as part of a linked grouping with Sacred Heart in Abingdon and St. Augustine in St. Augustine. This collaborative arrangement allows the small rural parishes to share clergy and pastoral resources.
- Linked Parish: Sacred Heart (Abingdon)
- Linked Parish: St. Augustine (St. Augustine)
Clergy and Leadership
St. Bernard is currently served by Rev. Eugene Radosevich, pastor of the linked parishes in the Bushnell-Abingdon-St. Augustine grouping. Historical pastors beginning with Father Charles Schilling in 1857 include Fathers James Tuohy, Thomas Madden, John Gordon, Michael Van Raes, Heinc Ciesielski, and Donnelly J. Fitzpatrick.
- Rev. Eugene Radosevich — current pastor
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Schilling1857
Pastor at Nauvoo; celebrated first Mass in the Hoing family home.
- Father James Tuohy1877
Listed as pastor of the Bushnell parish.
- Father Thomas Maddencirca 1907
Renamed the parish St. Bernard in honor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, commemorating his own deceased older brother; served when the parish had about 30 families.
- Father John Gordon1940s-1950s
Also served the St. Rose mission in Rushville.
- Father Michael Van Raes1951
Awakened by neighbors during the December 20, 1951 fire; rescued the Blessed Sacrament and sacred vessels before the church burned.
- Father Heinc Ciesielski1940s-1950s
Served as Bushnell pastor while also tending St. Rose mission.
- Father Donnelly J. Fitzpatrick1976
Appointed administrator of St. Rose in 1976 while continuing as pastor of St. Bernard's in Bushnell.