About St Bernard Parish at St. Camillus de Lellis Church · Fitchburg, Massachusetts
St. Bernard Parish at St. Camillus de Lellis Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Worcester. It is the direct continuation of St. Bernard Parish — the oldest Catholic community in northern Worcester County — whose roots go back to Irish railroad workers who gathered for outdoor Mass in 1845. In 2010, when the Diocese of Worcester closed and suppressed the original Water Street St. Bernard's Church (along with Sacred Heart, Immaculate Conception, and Madonna of the Holy Rosary), the parish was renamed and re-established in the former St. Camillus de Lellis Church at 333 Mechanic Street. Today the parish serves Fitchburg Catholics through daily and Sunday Masses, religious education, youth ministry, parish outreach, a cemetery, and St. Bernard Elementary School.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph M. Dolan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Worcester
Why belong here
St. Bernard at St. Camillus is the continuation of the oldest Catholic community in northern Worcester County, with a direct lineage to the 1845 Mass celebrated by Irish railroad workers in Fitchburg. Worshippers can attend Mass seven days a week in English, with weekday mornings at 7:00 and 8:00 AM and a Sunday schedule of 8:00, 10:00, and 6:00 PM, plus Saturday Vigil at 4:15 PM. The parish runs St. Bernard Elementary School, religious education and youth ministry, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a Haitian Outreach ministry, parish outreach, mercy ministries, and a cemetery — making it a full-service Catholic community for the city of Fitchburg.
Mass times at St Bernard Parish at St. Camillus de Lellis Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Tuesday 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (in the church)
History of the Parish
The Catholic community of St. Bernard Parish began in the summer of 1845 when Irish railroad workers, barred from Fitchburg's public buildings, gathered for Mass on the east side of Water Street between 2nd and 4th Streets. Missionaries Rev. James Strain and Rev. Matthew Gibson (the latter credited with founding ten Worcester County congregations) served the workers; on February 15, 1848, Gibson bought land from railroad promoter Alvah Crocker and, with donated lumber from contractor James J. Kahill, the Irish men built the 20-by-30-foot 'shanty cathedral.' Bishop John B. Fitzpatrick of Boston dedicated the first St. Bernard church on September 12, 1852.
The 1880 Church and Parish Growth
Under Pastor Rev. Cornelius Foley, the parish outgrew its basement church. Foley bought more land on Middle Street from Crocker, and parishioners dug a 168 × 68-foot foundation after their workday. Bishop John J. Williams of Boston laid the cornerstone on August 22, 1869, and Bishop Patrick T. O'Reilly dedicated the finished church on the feast of St. Bernard in August 1880. A rectory followed in 1883, the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary arrived in 1886, a girls' school opened on Middle Street in 1891, St. Bernard High School was built on Harvard Street in 1927, and Rev. Michael J. Curran directed a renovation in the 1940s.
- Rectory completed 1883
- Sisters of the Presentation of the BVM arrive 1886
- Girls' school on Middle Street 1891
- St. Bernard High School on Harvard Street 1927
- Renovation in the 1940s under Rev. Michael J. Curran
Mother Church of Fitchburg
St. Bernard Parish was the mother church of Catholic life in Fitchburg. As West Fitchburg's Catholic population grew it formed its own parish at Vernon and Burke Streets, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. By 1885 the booming French-Canadian community needed its own space, starting with services in the basement of St. Bernard and eventually founding Immaculate Conception on Walnut Street. All three of these daughter parishes were suppressed along with the original St. Bernard on June 30, 2010.
- Sacred Heart — West Fitchburg
- Immaculate Conception — French-Canadian congregation on Walnut Street
The 2010 Reorganization
Faced with a shortage of priests, declining attendance, and aging buildings, the Diocese of Worcester in 2010 suppressed four Fitchburg parishes effective July 1: the original St. Bernard's, Sacred Heart, Immaculate Conception, and Madonna of the Holy Rosary. St. Camillus de Lellis Church — built in 1879 and Fitchburg's second Catholic parish — was renamed and the surviving parish assumed the assets and liabilities of old St. Bernard's, including St. Bernard Elementary School and St. Bernard Cemetery. The lawn of the St. Camillus church still holds the grave of its first regular pastor, Rev. Thomas S. Hanrahan, who served from 1896 to 1933.
- Bishop Robert J. McManus led the reorganization
- Closed parishes: St. Bernard, Sacred Heart, Immaculate Conception, Madonna of the Holy Rosary
- St. Camillus de Lellis Church renamed St. Bernard Parish at St. Camillus de Lellis Church
- Parish retains St. Bernard Elementary School and St. Bernard Cemetery
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Joseph M. Dolan and is supported by three deacons and a full lay staff for faith formation, music, outreach, and cemetery operations. An associate priest, Rev. Robert Loftus, is also listed by the CatholicChurchDirectory.
- Rev. Joseph M. Dolan — Pastor
- Rev. Robert Loftus — Associate
- Deacon Ben Nogueira (Retired) — Lectors & EM, Website
- Deacon John Aliskevicz — Parish Outreach Ministry
- Deacon Steve Gendron — Liturgical and Altar Server Ministry
- Lois Nogueira — Mercy Ministries
- Susan Saari — Religious Education Administrator
- Matthew Gauvin — Youth Ministry
- Frank Bonanno — Music Director
- Deborah W. Wright — Principal, St. Bernard Elementary School
- Jason Baldini — Cemetery Superintendent
- Cindy Borey — Cemetery Secretary
Faith Formation, Youth & Music
Susan Saari coordinates Religious Education for parish children who do not attend Catholic school, and Matthew Gauvin directs Youth Ministry for teens. Frank Bonanno leads the parish's Music Ministry. The website also links to photo albums from recent Confirmation celebrations, including the 2022 Confirmation at St. Francis Church and the 2019 Confirmation at St. Joseph Church — evidence that sacramental preparation continues across the clustered Fitchburg parishes.
- Religious Education (children)
- Youth Ministry
- Music Ministry (Frank Bonanno)
- Confirmation preparation (2022 at St. Francis, 2019 at St. Joseph)
Outreach, Mercy & Haitian Ministry
Outreach and the corporal works of mercy are central to the parish's identity — fitting its stated mission of 'help[ing] one another in the daily struggle to answer the call of Christ.' Deacon John Aliskevicz coordinates the Parish Outreach Ministry, Lois Nogueira directs Mercy Ministries, and a dedicated Haitian Outreach page reflects the parish's service to Fitchburg's Haitian Catholic community.
- Parish Outreach Ministry (Deacon John Aliskevicz)
- Mercy Ministries (Lois Nogueira)
- Haitian Outreach ministry
St. Bernard Elementary School
After the 2010 reorganization the parish retained oversight of St. Bernard Elementary School, the parish's long-running Catholic school. It is led by Principal Deborah W. Wright and has its own Development Office.
- Principal: Deborah W. Wright
- School phone: 978-342-1948
- Development Office: 978-345-2777
St. Bernard Cemetery
The parish also operates St. Bernard Cemetery, with its own superintendent and secretary. The cemetery is one of the assets that transferred to the new St. Bernard Parish at St. Camillus de Lellis when the 2010 diocesan reorganization took effect.
- Cemetery Superintendent: Jason Baldini (978-342-4820)
- Cemetery Secretary: Cindy Borey (978-343-7459)
- Email: [email protected]
Contact, Location & Communication
The parish office, school, and cemetery each have their own phone lines, and the parish uses Flocknote and Facebook for ongoing communication. The website administrator is reachable at [email protected].
- Parish: 333 Mechanic St, Fitchburg, MA 01420
- Parish phone: 978-342-7921; Office: 978-343-7459; Fax: 978-345-2688
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Cemetery email: [email protected]
- Website admin: [email protected]
- Flocknote and Facebook listed in site header
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James Strain1845 (approx.)
Tradition credits him as celebrant of the first Mass for Irish railroad workers in Fitchburg, summer 1845.
- Rev. Matthew Gibson1845–1848+
Worcester-based missionary who served Fitchburg Catholics from time to time after May 1845; bought land for the parish from Alvah Crocker on Feb. 15, 1848, and built the first 'shanty cathedral.'
- Rev. Cornelius Foleypre-1869 – 1880s
Pastor who oversaw the building of the larger stone church; cornerstone laid Aug. 22, 1869, dedicated Aug. 1880.
- Rev. Michael J. Curran1940s
Directed the renovation of the Water Street St. Bernard church.