St. Bernard Church, Breaux Bridge celebrates 160 years
BREAUX BRIDGE
Celebrating 160 years of service to God and the people of Breaux
Bridge, St. Bernard Church honors the zeal and devotion of the
bishops of the Diocese of Lafayette, the priests who have served
St. Bernard, the religious who served, and the thousands of unnamed
and unknown laity who helped the parish develop from a mission
parish in the 18th century to a thriving parish in the 21st century.
Some interesting facts about this historical Breaux Bridge church
parish:
o Prior to establishment of St. Martin de Tours and St. Bernard, several priests served the people of the area
o St. Martin de Tours established in 1765, sent priests to meet the needs of the Breaux Bridge residents
o Pope Pius VI issued Papal Bull on April 25, 1793 carving out Dioceses of Havana, Louisiana and Florida. Diocese of Louisiana bounded on north and east by Diocese of Baltimore and south and west by Diocese of Durango and Linares, Mexico. Bishop Don Luis Ignacio Maria de Penalver y Cardenas, native of Havana, was first Bishop of Louisiana and resided in New Orleans
o Chapel established 1847 at corner of Main and Bridge Streets by residents
o Father J. Zeller was sent to St. Bernard by pastor of St. Martin de Tours, not as Pastor, but to provide priestly duties and serve the people. Fr. Zeller proceeded to build rectory
o Fr. J. LeGrand, first official Pastor 1848-1851
o Parish church built during Fr. Dubenard's time (1857) and enlarged by Fr. Borias
o Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament arrived in 1891, thanks to Fr. Borias
o Father Langlois (1900-1908) began savings for new brick church
o 1905 St. Bernard School was dedicated and opened as boarding school
o 1910 Altar Society established
o 1918, Papal Bull, Diocese of Lafayette, carved out of Diocese of New Orleans
o Father Paul A. Borel, 1923-54, pushed to have new church built
o 1926, St. Bernard High School approved by State
o 1934, Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard, native of Breaux Bridge, dedicated new church building
o The church was one of largest in the Diocese
o Sisters of Most Holy Sacrament (SMHS) novitiate established here in 1923
o Sisters' house erected in 1946 (currently the Administration Building) to house the Sisters who were to staff the high school
o St. Bernard School closed from 1971-82
o 1992, Sisters left St. Bernard Convent, Three nuns remained but moved to new location
o Msgr. P.A. Borel Center completed 2001
o 2006, last nun remaining, Sister Pius Blanchard, retired, ending an era of the presence of religious in the community
o 2007, St. Bernard School has over 500 students registered
o 2007, over 2400 individuals or families are registered in St. Bernard Church Parish, with over 50 active ministries
About St. Bernard
o Lived from 1090-1153
o Born in Dijon, Burgundy, France of a noble family. He had a frivolous youth
o Convinced 31 of his friends and relatives (4 of his brothers) to join the Abbey of Citeaux (first Cisterican monastery founded in 1098, which observed strict Benedictine rule)
o The Cistercian house was changed to Clairvaux, the mother house of 68 other Cistercian monasteries
o He supported Pope Innocent II over antipope, Anticletus II
o He was an eloquent preacher and miracles attributed to him
o Pope Eugene III, who began at Clairvaux, asked Bernard to go to Languedoc in Southern France to combat Albegensian heresy
o At Pope Eugene's request, Bernard preached the 2nd crusade against the Muslim Turks who captured Edessa in Syria on Christmas, 1144
o Bernard died at Clairvaux on August 20
o Declared Doctor of the Church in 1830
o He composed the prayer, the Memorare (Remember , O Most Gracious Virgin Mary…)
o He is considered the last of the Fathers of the Church