About St. Bernard of Clairvaux · Oriska, North Dakota
St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a small rural Catholic parish at 606 5th Street in Oriska, North Dakota, serving the farming communities of western Barnes County in the Diocese of Fargo. Founded in 1907–1908 at the request of local Catholic farm families — including Frank Winkler and Anthony Yanish — and blessed by the diocese's first bishop, John Shanley, the parish stood for 115 years as the spiritual home for generations of Catholic families on the North Dakota plains. After more than a century of continuous worship, dwindling attendance (fewer than 20 active parishioners) and the prohibitive cost of major repairs led the community to close the parish; the final Mass was celebrated by Bishop John Folda on July 16, 2023, and the building was scheduled for demolition later that year. The parish's sacred articles — including stained-glass windows, statues and a 1,200-pound brass bell — were redistributed to roughly 30 other Catholic parishes and institutions in the Diocese of Fargo.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- Rector
- Fr. Brian Bachmeier
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fargo
Why belong here
St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a tight-knit rural Catholic parish in Oriska, North Dakota, part of a tri-parish served by Fr. Brian Bachmeier alongside St. Agatha's in Hope and Sacred Heart in Sanborn, with Deacon Jim McCallister assisting. The community was small but deeply devoted — families had worshipped there for generations — and the tri-parish schedule brought weekend Masses to Oriska roughly every other Sunday, with weekday Masses, an active bulletin, and a Parish Council supporting the life of the parish. Following the parish's official closure and final Mass on July 16, 2023, former St. Bernard's families were welcomed into the surrounding parishes of Valley City, Fingal, Dazey, Hope and Sanborn to continue practicing their Catholic faith in the Diocese of Fargo.
Mass times at St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church was founded in 1907–1908 when local Catholic farm families Frank Winkler and Anthony Yanish petitioned Bishop John Shanley, the first Bishop of Fargo, for a church of their own in Oriska. Bishop Shanley laid the cornerstone on July 31, 1908 and returned with several priests to dedicate the completed building on November 11, 1908. For 115 years the parish served generations of Catholic families on the North Dakota plains as both a place of worship and a community anchor. The stained-glass windows memorialized its founding families — the Gauche, Goulet, Yanish, Krechmer, Winkler, Nemanich and Curtis households — and Anthony Yanish's grandson Tony Yanish remained an active parishioner into the parish's final years. The parish was officially closed in 2023.
- Founded 1907–1908 by Frank Winkler and Anthony Yanish
- Cornerstone laid July 31, 1908 by Bishop John Shanley
- Church dedicated November 11, 1908
- Closing decided after attendance dwindled to ~15 active parishioners
- Final Mass celebrated July 16, 2023 by Bishop John Folda
- Closed after 115 years of continuous worship
Parish Closure and Legacy (2023)
By the early 2020s the parish faced dwindling numbers — about 15 regular worshippers, the second youngest aged 69 — and a building needing hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs (water damage, basement mold, asbestos, leaking roof, abandoned water line). The community prayerfully decided to close. The final Mass was celebrated by Bishop John Folda on Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., with a Holy Hour led by Deacon Jim McAllister the evening before; the Altar Society hosted a closing luncheon at the Woodland Reserve in Valley City. The parish corporation merged into St. Catherine's Parish of Valley City, where sacramental records are preserved.
- Final Mass: Sunday, July 16, 2023, 2:30 p.m., by Bishop John Folda
- Holy Hour: Saturday, July 15, 2023, 7:00 p.m., led by Deacon Jim McAllister
- Altar Society closing luncheon at Woodland Reserve, Valley City
- Parish corporation merged into St. Catherine's, Valley City
- Building demolished later in 2023
Distribution of Sacred Articles
More than 160 sacred articles from St. Bernard's — statues, pews, liturgical items and stained-glass windows — were carefully redistributed to about 30 different Catholic parishes and institutions across the Diocese of Fargo. The stained-glass windows, with original donor nameplates, were sent to the developing new church in Wishek; the donor nameplates were returned to descendants of the original families. A memorial at the Oriska cemetery was constructed using cut foundation fieldstone from the church, two outdoor statues from the grounds, and the belltower's 1,200-pound brass bell, ensuring the parish's material legacy continues in its community.
- Stained-glass windows sent to the new church in Wishek
- Bell: 1,200-pound brass bell preserved at Oriska cemetery monument
- Two outdoor statues preserved at the cemetery
- Cemetery memorial built from cut foundation fieldstone
- 160+ sacred items distributed to ~30 Catholic facilities
Tri-Parish Organization
St. Bernard's in Oriska was one of three parishes in the Oriska–Hope–Sanborn tri-parish grouping, sharing a single pastor and parish secretary. The other parishes were St. Agatha's Catholic Church in Hope, ND (6th Street and Steele Avenue) and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sanborn, ND. The tri-parish rotated weekend Masses among the three churches, giving each community Sunday worship on a regular schedule while maintaining weekday Mass coverage. Fr. Brian Bachmeier served as pastor of the tri-parish; Deacon Jim McCallister assisted; Jessica Jordan served as tri-parish secretary. In the wake of the 2023 closing, Fr. Bachmeier continued serving St. Agatha's (Hope) and Sacred Heart (Sanborn), and is also reported as pastor of a 'Quad Catholic Parishes' grouping (Sacred Heart–Aneta, St. George–Cooperstown, St. Agatha–Hope, St. Lawrence–Jessie).
- St. Agatha's Catholic Church, Hope, ND (6th St & Steele Ave)
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Sanborn, ND
- Pastor: Fr. Brian Bachmeier
- Deacon: Jim McCallister
- Tri-Parish Secretary: Jessica Jordan
- Phone: 701-845-3713; Deacon cell: 701-840-1473
- Tri-parish email: [email protected]
Parish Staff and Clergy
The small parish was led by Fr. Brian Bachmeier as pastor, with Deacon Jim McCallister assisting in ministry to the tri-parish community. Tri-parish secretary Jessica Jordan handled parish administration and bulletins. All three shared the parish office line at 701-845-3713, with Fr. Bachmeier continuing to serve after the 2023 closure at the remaining tri-parish churches.
- Fr. Brian Bachmeier — Pastor
- Deacon Jim McCallister — Deacon; cell 701-840-1473
- Jessica Jordan — Tri-Parish Secretary
Sacraments and Sacramental Records
Following the parish's official closure in 2023, all St. Bernard of Clairvaux sacramental records were transferred to and preserved at St. Catherine's Parish in Valley City, ND. Families who had been parishioners at St. Bernard's were welcomed into one of the five surrounding Catholic parishes — Valley City, Fingal, Dazey, Hope and Sanborn — where they could continue to celebrate the sacraments, including First Communion, Confirmation, marriage, anointing of the sick, and funeral rites.
- Sacramental records preserved at St. Catherine's, Valley City, ND
- Families welcomed into Valley City, Fingal, Dazey, Hope and Sanborn parishes
Contact and Bulletin Information
The parish website at stbernards-oriska.org provided Mass schedules, parish bulletins, and links to the parish staff, the Parish Council, St. Agatha's in Hope, and Sacred Heart in Sanborn. After the 2023 closure, the parish office line (701-845-3713) and tri-parish email ([email protected]) remained the primary points of contact, with Fr. Brian Bachmeier handling inquiries about the closure and redistribution of sacred articles.
- Website: http://www.stbernards-oriska.org
- Parish phone: 701-845-3713
- Tri-parish email: [email protected]
- Diocese of Fargo parish page: fargodiocese.org/view-parish.aspx?parishId=96