Construction Updates

In July of 2024, construction began on a new parking lot at the cathedral, as the State of Wisconsin requires parking to be commensurate with the number of seating spaces in a church. Complying with the government regulations meant that a number of beautiful, mature trees had to be removed and a much-used green space had to be reimagined. Fortunately, the new Tree and Landscape Beautification Plan for the cathedral exceeded expectations by including the addition of 30 deciduous trees and 17 ornamental trees, plus many shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennials.

CARING FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT

In addition to the beautification of the cathedral campus with many trees and planned green spaces, some of the cathedral parking spaces will also be “green!” Electric vehicle charging stations are included in the plan as well as a bioinfiltration area, which uses vegetation and planting soil to manage stormwater runoff.

In a beautiful example of stewardship of God's creation, lumber taken from the removed trees will be used for projects such as carvings, cabinetry, and other woodworking needs inside the cathedral.

WORKING AND GROWING TOGETHER

Complying with the City of Madison’s requirements ultimately dictates the plan for the new parking lot. These requirements include elements such as parking lot layout, lighting, the proper dissipation of stormwater, the availability of electric vehicle charging stations, and the types of plantings to be used. The parking lot will also have appropriate finishes and colors in keeping with the overall beauty of the cathedral space.  

JULY 9, 2024: Beginning Work on the North Wall

Work began July 9, 2024 on the north wall of the parish center. Last fall, the north end of the parish center was razed in order to accommodate additional parking. The concrete contractor began laying the forms.

September 15, 2024:
Mass formally marks elevation to cathedral of St. Bernard

Bishop Donald J. Hying presided Sunday, Sept. 15, at a Mass that marked in a formal way the installation of St. Bernard Parish as the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux in the Diocese of Madison.

"This is a way for us to give praise and thanks to God for the gift of having a cathedral again," Bishop Hying said in his homily. "When we come to know who Jesus is, that’s when we come to recognize our deepest identity," he said. “We can only come to know ourselves through Christ.”

Bishop Hying spoke of the importance of a cathedral as the mother church of a diocese and a place for Catholics to gather around the bishop for key diocesan events. He also noted that a cathedral is usually located in the heart of the city because God is at the center of our community. The location of St. Bernard Church was one of many reasons why it was selected to be the new cathedral for the Diocese of Madison. 

“The faith is the glue that holds the culture together,” Bishop Hying said. "The cathedral is planted in the heart of the city to serve as a sign to the world of the presence of Christ, where the poor and the sick find solace and healing."

The reading of the official letter from the Holy See naming St. Bernard as the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux was then met by applause.

You can read more about this Mass in the Catholic Herald.

January 5, 2025:

Bishop Donald J. Hying blessed the bells for the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux after Mass on Sunday, Jan. 5, during the Solemnity of Epiphany.

“It’s a joy to bless the bells,” said Bishop Hying in his homily, because like the toll of the bells, we hear the call of Christ in our lives. Not only will these bells ring out over the city and call people to Mass, but they will also remind them of the mystery of God, he said.

When we look at our own lives through the eyes of faith we realize the presence of God everywhere, he said, and we can see that we are eternal, loved by God, and have a soul that is destined for God, which changes everything. 

“Once we encounter Christ, we can never go back the way we came,” he said.
As we bless the bells, we also pray that our lives will ring out the joy of Jesus incarnate, crucified, and risen, he said.

After Mass, people gathered outside where the bishop blessed the five bells that will ring out from the cathedral upon its dedication in 2026. Three of the bells are original to St. Bernard Church, and the other two are from the former cathedral, St. Raphael. Each bell was dedicated to a patron saint; our bells' patrons are Mary, Mother of the Church; Mary, Mother of Hope; St. Joseph; St. John the Evangelist; and St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

“Whenever they ring, may the enemy of the good take flight, the Christian people hear the call in faith, the empire of Satan be terrified, your people be strengthened as they are called together in the Lord,” Bishop Hying prayed.

Read more about the bell blessing in the Catholic Herald.

Early this winter, the statues of the 12 Apostles were installed in their niches in the apse behind the altar. These statues serve as visible reminders of the apostolic foundations of our Church and of Jesus' command to them to offer the Eucharistic sacrifice in memory of Him, the same sacrifice that will be offered daily at the cathedral in the Mass!

Decorative touches are being added throughout the cathedral, including the trim for the altar and the wainscoting (decorative paneling) around the organ. Though small, these details will add big visual impact to the finished cathedral.

Also added to the cathedral, inside and out, were light fixtures. Pendant lights were hung inside the nave, and beautiful fixtures were added to the exterior of the property along Atwood Avenue and Corry Street.