About St. Bernard · Hastings, Pennsylvania
St. Bernard Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Hastings, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, part of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. The parish was founded in 1890 by Benedictine monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey and is named after Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the Cistercian abbot and Doctor of the Church. Tucked into the coal-country hills of northern Cambria County about three miles north of U.S. Route 219, St. Bernard serves the small borough of Hastings and its surrounding rural townships with two Sunday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, daily weekday Masses, and Saturday confessions. The parish is also the mother church of the nearby mission Chapel of St. Boniface in Hastings, reflecting the historic Benedictine roots of Catholic life in the Brubaker Creek valley.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
- Rector
- Rev. Thaddeus E. Rettger, O.S.B.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown
Why belong here
St. Bernard offers a full weekly rhythm of worship — two Sunday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, and daily weekday Masses — in a small, tight-knit northern Cambria County parish with deep roots going back to 1890. The parish is cared for by a long-tenured Benedictine priest from Saint Vincent Archabbey, and its mission Chapel of St. Boniface keeps the historic Benedictine footprint of the Brubaker Creek valley alive. For Catholics in Hastings and the surrounding townships who want a parish with real history, a confessional open before every Vigil Mass, and the daily presence of the Eucharist, St. Bernard is the spiritual home.
Mass times at St. Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (by appointment or as announced)
About St. Bernard Parish
St. Bernard Parish is a Roman Catholic (Roman Rite) parish of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown serving the borough of Hastings and surrounding communities in northern Cambria County, Pennsylvania. The parish is named after Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the Cistercian abbot and Doctor of the Church whose feast falls on August 20, and continues to be shepherded by a Benedictine priest of Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe.
- Parish type: Roman Rite parish
- Diocese: Altoona-Johnstown
- Patron: St. Bernard of Clairvaux (feast day August 20)
- Clerical family: Benedictine (Saint Vincent Archabbey)
- Mission: Chapel of St. Boniface, Hastings (1278 Main St.)
History of St. Bernard Parish
The parish was established in 1890 by Benedictine monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey to serve the Catholic farming families of the newly platted coal town of Hastings. After two years of planning and construction led by founding pastor Rev. Edwin Pierron, O.S.B., the first church was dedicated by Archabbot Andrew Hintenach on January 18, 1891. Three decades later, under Rev. Stephen Wieland, O.S.B., the parish outgrew the original frame church and built its present larger church, dedicated by Bishop John J. McCort on March 2, 1924.
- 1889 — Archabbot Andrew Hintenach, O.S.B., commissions a new parish for Hastings
- Feb 23, 1890 — Rev. Anselm Soehnler, O.S.B., announces Father Edwin Pierron as pastor
- Dec 1890 — First church (40 × 110 ft. Gothic frame, seating 700) completed at a cost of $9,000
- Jan 18, 1891 — Church dedicated in honor of St. Bernard; first Mass celebrated
- Sept 1897 — Rev. Innocent Andelfinger, O.S.B., succeeds Father Edwin
- 1905 — Rev. Germain Ball, O.S.B., becomes pastor
- 1919 — Rev. Stephen Wieland, O.S.B., arrives and begins plans for a larger church
- March 2, 1924 — Present church dedicated by Bishop John J. McCort
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is staffed by the Benedictines of Saint Vincent Archabbey. The current pastor celebrated 50 years of priesthood in 2024 and is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the local Rotary Club, and the Hastings Area Industrial Development Authority.
- Rev. Thaddeus E. Rettger, O.S.B. — Pastor; ordained May 11, 1974; monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey
Mission Chapel
In addition to the parish church, St. Bernard retains a mission chapel in Hastings — the historic Chapel of St. Boniface, which the parish directory and GCatholic still list as a dependent mission of St. Bernard.
- Chapel of St. Boniface — 1278 Main St., Hastings, PA 16646 (GCatholic ID 23837)
Parish Life, Ministries, and Outreach
St. Bernard supports faith formation for children and youth through Sunday School, and the pastor is engaged locally through the Knights of Columbus and the Hastings Area Industrial Development Authority, reflecting the parish's long tradition of presence in this small coal-country community.
- Sunday School / Children and Youth Activities
- Knights of Columbus (pastor's affiliation)
- Local outreach and community activities
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edwin Pierron, O.S.B.1890–1897
Founded the parish; first pastor, from Carrolltown; born in Selonge, Belgium, December 25, 1846.
- Rev. Innocent Andelfinger, O.S.B.1897–1905
Succeeded Father Edwin; transferred to curate at St. Boniface, Pittsburgh.
- Rev. Germain Ball, O.S.B.1905–1910
Resigned due to illness.
- Rev. Stephen Wieland, O.S.B.1919–
Long pastorate; oversaw construction and dedication of the present larger church on Quinquagesima Sunday, March 2, 1924.
- Rev. Thaddeus E. Rettger, O.S.B.current
Benedictine of Saint Vincent Archabbey; ordained May 11, 1974 by Bishop William G. Connare; celebrating 50 years of priesthood in 2024; active in the Hastings Area Industrial Development Authority, Rotary Club, and Knights of Columbus.