About St. Bernard · Watertown, Wisconsin
St. Bernard is a historic Roman Catholic parish at 114 S. Church Street in Watertown, Wisconsin, founded in January 1843 by Irish Catholic settlers — among them Bernard Crangle, for whom the church is named. As of October 1, 2024 (canonically installed November 1, 2024), St. Bernard became the anchor church of the newly merged St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in the Diocese of Madison, joined with St. Henry (Watertown), St. Mary Magdalene (Johnson Creek), and St. Francis Xavier (Lake Mills). The parish is also home to the St. Bernard campus of Watertown Catholic School and serves as the Pastorate's parish office. Its current High Victorian Gothic church, designed by the noted Irish-American architect Patrick Charles Keely, was dedicated on November 12, 1876, and is the only known Keely-designed building in Wisconsin.
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux (the parish is in fact named for founding parishioner Bernard Crangle; St. Bernard of Clairvaux is the standard Catholic patron commonly associated with the name)
- Rector
- Rev. Tim Renz (Pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish; also Vicar Forane)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Bernard is a living, two-century-old Irish Catholic community still rooted in downtown Watertown — historic, welcoming, and now positioned as the parish office and one of the central worship sites of a four-church Pastorate. Families can attend Mass in English and Spanish, send their children to the on-site Watertown Catholic School, and grow in faith through regular Reconciliation, two weekly Eucharistic Adoration times, and a long list of devotions like the weekly Spanish Holy Rosary. Whether you are drawn by the legacy of the Irish founders, the building's beauty, the Catholic school next door, or the bilingual community life, St. Bernard offers a parish home where generations of Catholics have worshipped and continues to serve today.
Mass times at St. Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:00–6:45 PM (St. Bernard, with Adoration)
- Friday 8:45–9:30 AM (St. Bernard, with Adoration)
- Saturday 3:30–4:15 PM (St. Bernard)
- Sunday 10:00–10:20 AM (St. Bernard)
- One-half hour before each weekend Mass (Parish-wide note)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 6:00–6:45 PM (St. Bernard)
- Friday 8:45–9:30 AM (St. Bernard)
History of St. Bernard's
St. Bernard's story begins in January 1843, when Irish Catholic pioneers — among them Bernard and Henry Crangle, James and Patrick Rogan, Daniel Crowley, and William Barrett — formed a congregation in the newly settled town of Watertown. Fr. Martin Kundig had begun riding in from Milwaukee in the fall of 1842 to say Mass in the Bernard Crangle home. By January 1846, Bishop John Martin Henni acquired the church's land for $1, and the first log-construction church was built by Edward Dunn ca. 1846, later expanded to seat the growing community. The first resident pastor, Rev. Patrick McKernan, served 1845–1846 while simultaneously caring for St. Raphael's in Madison. The decisive era came with Rev. William Corby, CSC (1872–1877), the former chaplain of the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg and two-time president of Notre Dame. Corby commissioned the Brooklyn-based Catholic architect Patrick Charles Keely to design a new, much larger church — the present High Victorian Gothic building whose cornerstone, carved from the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, was laid September 14, 1873, and which was dedicated November 12, 1876. Corby also founded the College of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, a seminary that operated on what is now the Maranatha Baptist Bible University campus. He returned for a second pastorate from 1881 to 1886, cementing the parish's reputation as the mother-church of Watertown's Irish Catholic community. The Saint Bernard's Church Complex was later determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A (Irish ethnic heritage) and C (architecture).
- Founded January 1843 by Irish immigrants including Bernard Crangle
- First resident pastor: Rev. Patrick McKernan (1845–1846)
- Famous Civil War-era pastor: Rev. William Corby, CSC (1872–1877; 1881–1886)
- Architect: Patrick Charles Keely (only known Keely building in Wisconsin)
- Cornerstone laid Sept. 14, 1873; dedicated Nov. 12, 1876
- Cornerstone is a piece of the Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish — the 2024 Merger
As part of the Diocese of Madison's 'Into the Deep' pastoral planning initiative, St. Bernard was canonically merged on October 1, 2024 with three neighboring parishes — St. Henry (Watertown), St. Mary Magdalene (Johnson Creek), and St. Francis Xavier (Lake Mills) — to form St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. The parish name was chosen personally by Bishop Donald Hying, who selected St. Thérèse of Lisieux from among names submitted after the Go Make Disciples Pastorate Team gathered more than 40 candidate names, narrowed them to five, and presented three to the bishop. Fr. Tim Renz, who had been serving as Parochial Administrator, was installed as the first pastor of the new parish on the Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, 2024, at St. Bernard Church. Fr. David Drefcinski and Fr. Milot Frederique, SMM, continue as parochial vicars. The Parish Office remains at St. Bernard, and St. Bernard also remains a primary worship site — particularly important as the location of the Pastorate's Spanish Mass.
- Effective date: October 1, 2024 (installed November 1, 2024)
- Churches combined: St. Bernard, St. Henry, St. Francis Xavier, St. Mary Magdalene
- Pastor: Fr. Tim Renz (also Vicar Forane of the diocesan vicariate)
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. David Drefcinski and Fr. Milot Frederique, SMM
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux Catholic School as the merged Pastorate school
- Jeanne Wolf serves as the parish's Director of Operations
Watertown Catholic School
The St. Bernard campus is one of two campuses of Watertown Catholic School — the unified parish school that serves the families of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. The school hosts a weekly school Mass on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 AM at St. Bernard, drawing together students, faculty, and parishioners in the regular rhythm of the liturgical week. (The schedule also references a Thursday 8:15 AM school Mass at St. Henry, the other campus.)
- Watertown Catholic School — Pre-K through Grade 8
- Two campuses: St. Bernard (Watertown) and St. Henry (Watertown)
- School Mass: Wednesday 8:15 AM at St. Bernard
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is organized at the Pastorate level. Couples preparing for marriage at St. Bernard or St. Henry begin the process 6–12 months in advance by contacting one of the priests, complete the FOCCUS pre-marriage inventory with a trained couple, and observe the published wedding guidelines (Saturday 1:00 PM default time, no weddings on Sundays or Solemnities, guest priest/deacon credentials required). Those wishing to receive Anointing of the Sick — or to arrange a visit for a homebound or hospitalized parishioner — should call the parish office at 920-261-7273. Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation are likewise provided through the parish faith formation program.
- Marriage Preparation: 6–12 month process; FOCCUS inventory required
- Anointing of the Sick: requested by calling 920-261-7273
- Baptism, First Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation through Pastorate faith formation
- Reconciliation (Confession): see multi-site weekly schedule
Devotions & Spanish-Language Ministry
In addition to its regular Mass schedule, St. Bernard is the home of the Pastorate's Spanish-language ministry. Every Sunday at 12:15 PM, the Santo Rosario is prayed in Spanish just before the 1:00 PM Spanish Mass — a gathering that has become a key touchpoint for the area's Hispanic Catholic community. Across the larger Pastorate, weekly and monthly Adoration, Benediction, the First Thursday Eucharistic Adoration (St. Francis Xavier, 7:15 AM Mass through 7:20 PM Benediction), and a monthly all-night Vigil Adoration at St. Henry (2nd Friday) expand the devotional life available to St. Bernard parishioners.
- Weekly Spanish Rosary (Santo Rosario): Sunday 12:15 PM
- Weekly Spanish Mass: Sunday 1:00 PM
- Tuesday Holy Hour / Adoration 6:00–6:45 PM
- First Thursday all-day Adoration at St. Francis Xavier
Getting Involved & Parish Life
Now operating as part of a four-church Pastorate, St. Bernard benefits from a wider pool of ministries than ever before. The parish has hired a Director of Operations (Jeanne Wolf) and a Director of Evangelization, and the Pastorate maintains a Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Trustees who are introduced annually during Installation Mass. Parish life is sustained by adult faith formation, faith-formation volunteers, liturgical ministries, the school community, the annual St. Thérèse of Lisieux Festival, and the Pastorate Picnic. Online giving, weekly bulletins, and Flocknote email updates are all available through the parish website.
- Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Parish Trustees
- Director of Operations & Director of Evangelization
- Weekly bulletins, Flocknote email updates, online giving via website
- Annual St. Thérèse of Lisieux Festival and Pastorate Picnic
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) ministries and gatherings
Visiting St. Bernard
St. Bernard sits at 114 S. Church Street in the heart of Watertown, just blocks from Main Street. The historic complex includes the church, the rectory, and the Watertown Catholic School building — all within a short walk of one another. Weekend Vigil and Sunday Masses are livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. The Parish Office is open by phone at (920) 261-5133 (St. Bernard) or (920) 261-7273 (Pastorate), and staff can help arrange Anointing of the Sick, marriage preparation, funeral rites, baptism, and registration in any of the four parishes of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
- Address: 114 S. Church St, Watertown, WI 53094
- Phone: (920) 261-5133 — St. Bernard office; (920) 261-7273 — Pastorate office
- Livestream: venue.streamspot.com/2a9716f0
- Downtown Watertown location — central and walkable
- Pastorate office located at St. Bernard
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick McKernan1845–1846
First resident pastor; native of Ireland; simultaneously served St. Raphael's, Madison.
- Rev. William Corby, CSC1872–1877
First pastorate; former chaplain of the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg; former president of Notre Dame; commissioned architect Patrick Charles Keely and oversaw construction of the present High Victorian Gothic church (cornerstone 1873, dedicated 1876); also established the College of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
- Rev. William Corby, CSC1881–1886
Returned for a second pastorate of five years after two intervening pastors.
- Rev. Vince Brewer
Pastor in the years leading up to the 2024 canonical merger; signed wedding-preparation correspondence from St. Bernard and St. Henry.
- Rev. Tim Renz2024–present
Installed as the first pastor of the newly merged St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish on November 1, 2024 (Solemnity of All Saints) in an Installation Mass at St. Bernard Church.