In 1785, St. Bernard Catholic Church was established to serve the colonist from the Canary Islands that settled along Bayou Terre aux Boeufs.  It was the first church below New Orleans, thus becoming the mother church for St. Bernard and Plaquemine Parishes.  Construction on the first church began in 1787, and the founding pastor was Mariano de Brunete.  The second church on the site was built in 1852. 
 

            There have been numerous priests at St. Bernard Catholic Church over the years.  The following is a list priests and their years of service: 
 

           
            The second church burned down on February 13, 1916, and was not rebuilt until 1925.  St. Bernard Catholic Church was without a pastor from 1916 until 1968.  Following the 1916 fire, St. Bernard Catholic Church, and the churches below, became missions to Our Lady of Lourdes, and were served by various priests assigned to Our Lady of Lourdes in Violet, Louisiana. 
 

            St. Bernard Catholic Church became a parish again in 1968.  It remains a very faithful community today even though the size of the church is small, and the members are not large in number, they are large in faith.  The following are the pastors who have served us well since 1968: 
 

            St. Bernard Catholic Church is a very active parish with many of our members participating in various activities throughout the year. 
 

            Our Seder Meal held on Palm Sunday in Iverson Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m..  This has become over the years an event that many look forward to attending.  Seating is reserved to 50 with tickets on sale at $12.00 per person.  St. Bernard holds the Tenebre service on Wednesday night;  St. Bernard has done the Light and Dark service on Good Friday for many years.  All are invited to attend.  On Good Friday we have the Rosary marches starting around noon. 
 

            In May, for Memorial Day, the Veterans place flags on the graves of our fallen service members.  The Knights of Columbus are there for Mass, and following Mass there is a ceremony held in the cemetery by the altar dedicated to our heroes.  Memorial Day 2004 we had a fly over. 
 

            We try once a year to have an appreciation dinner at Iverson Hall for all those who in any way do something to help keep our church going.  In planning for this dinner one can see just how many people actually work to keep it going. 
 

            The feast day for St. Bernard is August 20^th, and the Sunday closest to this day, is when we celebrate with the help of Los Isleños.  At the end of the Mass, names are read of Los Isleños who have died during the past year.  Following Mass flowers are placed by the statute of St. Bernard, and then many go to Los Isleños Museum grounds for dinner. 
 

            Our Family Day is planned in October during the first weekend of the Pumpkin Patch.  We start with Mass outdoors under the trees behind Iverson Hall and then have a covered dish dinner in the hall followed by hay rides. 
 

            Our big fundraiser for the past six years has been our Pumpkin Patch.  We try to provide a safe environment for young children to come for a hay ride and pick out their pumpkin.  We have many parishioners who volunteer their time for this event.  Over the years each person has found just the position that is right for him or her.  The Patch has grown over the years and we now have two hay wagons giving hay rides.  The Patch is open during the day for daycare centers, and schools to bring their students for a field trip.  The late afternoon and weekends are for families who want a fun outing.  We have also had various groups come up for their meeting such as the Brownies and Cub Scouts.  Some have even found it a good activity for a birthday party.  The Patch opens around the second week of October and ends on October 30. 
 

            On October 31, we have our All Hallows' Eve Mass in the cemetery starting around 5:30 p.m.  Then on November 1, we have our All Saints’ Day Mass in the cemetery.  Both of these Masses are special.  Father Schneider had an altar erected in the middle of St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery as a war memorial.  St. Bernard has been blessed with many of its residents serving in the military, many of which have given their lives for our freedom to worship, and we are reminded of that every time we look at this beautiful outdoor altar. 

              If you want to learn more of the history of  Los Isleños please visit www.losislenos.org for more information.  By learning more of the history of  Los Isleños you will understand why this little church and cemetery are still in existence today.  At their website you can also find information regarding the Los Isleños Museum and upcoming events. 

              St. Bernard Catholic Church is once again its own parish and all parishioners are very grateful to the Archbishop for his support in granting us the opportunity to bring out community back following Hurricane Katrina.  We had our first Mass in the renovated church on November 11, 2007, and our new Pastor celebrated his first Mass at St. Bernard on All Saint's Day 2008.  We thank Fr. Danny and Fr. Charlie for all the work they did in helping us and for all the Masses they said in St. Bernard Catholic Church. Now that we have a Pastor who is looking forward to the challenges he faces in helping St. Bernard and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Churches return to what is hoped to be even stronger faith communities than before Hurricane Katrina.