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Construction Updates
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January 2024: Vatican approves new Cathedral site
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In January 2024, the Diocese of Madison shared the joyous news that Pope Francis approved Bishop Hying's petition to name St. Bernard Church as our new cathedral. You can read more about this news in the Catholic Herald.
On January 24, 2024, the Diocese of Madison held a press conference for the local media at the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux to officially make public the Holy See's decision to elevate the church to our new cathedral. Bishop Hying spoke about the importance of this decision for the life of the diocese, which had been without a cathedral for 20 years. Details about the press conference can be found at the Catholic Herald.
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March 2024: New concrete floor poured
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On March 22, 2024, crews poured a new concrete floor inside the Cathedral of St. Bernard. The old floor was original to the building (which was built in 1927) and was deteriorating in several places, prompting the decision to pour a brand-new floor. You can read more about this process from the Catholic Herald.
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July 2024: Parking lot construction and landscaping plan
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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.
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Construction begins on the north wall of the parish center
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July 2024: Roofing and interior scaffolding
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July 2024 saw much progress on the church and rectory roofs; the old roof tiles and underlayment on the west side of the church were removed, and contractors began to install the new tiles. Gutters and downspouts followed.
Activity also picked up inside the cathedral. Scaffolding installation began in preparation for the plaster and decorative painting work. Preparations were also made for the steel support for the sanctuary rail system, which will allow for the sanctuary elevations to be poured.
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August 2024: Entrance, HVAC system, and plaster preparation
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Work continued in August 2024 on the entrance to the parking lot doors as shown in the picture of an excavator digging a large hole. New roof tiles were placed on the west side of the cathedral, and much work was completed on the HVAC system in the church basement. Scaffolding was set up, filling the inside of the cathedral in preparation for the plaster work and liturgical painting.
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September 2024: Formal Elevation and a New Paint Scheme
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September 15, 2024:
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.
Mass formally marks elevation to cathedral of St. Bernard
"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.
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September 18, 2024
Test areas show decorative paint schemeSeptember 18, 2024:
Test areas show decorative paint schemeThe painters prepared a few test areas that show the decorative paint scheme in the center nave, front walls of the apse, and west transept. These test areas give an exciting glimpse of the beauty of our finished cathedral!
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September 18, 2024: Diocese Comes Together On Cathedral Project Read an update in the Catholic Herald HERE about cathedral construction and fundraising efforts as of September 2024.
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October 2024: Interior and Exterior Updates
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In October 2024, the Catholic Herald provided an update on the interior beautification of the cathedral (paint, doors, some fixtures, etc.). You can read about the projects that are enhancing the beauty of our cathedral here.
An update was also given about preparations of the outside of the cathedral to accommodate for increased parking traffic and Wisconsin winters, and to add flourishes of beauty throughout the campus; you can read that story here in the Catholic Herald.
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October 10, 2024:
Cement poured in parking lotOctober 17, 2024:
Paving begins in parking lot
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October 2024: Looking ahead to liturgies at the Cathedral
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One of the reasons the Diocese of Madison needs a cathedral is because the cathedral is the most fitting church for diocesan liturgies such as ordinations and the Chrism Mass. A cathedral is a visible sign of the bishop's authority over a diocese, and it is therefore the best church for these liturgies and rites that flow forth from his authority.
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January 2025: Bishop Hying blesses bells for the cathedral
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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.
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February 2025: Murals added to East and West Transepts
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February 27, 2025:
Two murals were added to the east and west transepts in the cathedral. The murals were done by Affiliated Artists, of Milwaukee. They work with T.H. Stemper Co., also of Milwaukee. In the east transept is a depiction of St. Gregory the Great with the choirs of angels. St. Gregory is one of the patron saints of sacred music, and his image will be near the organ. In the west transept is an image of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. This image will be near the confessional area.
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March 2025: Transept murals completed
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March 12, 2025:
With the scaffolding gone, one can more easily see details of the murals of St. Gregory the Great and the Prodigal Son in the east and west transepts of the cathedral. The beautiful paint job is quickly reaching completion!
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May 2025: Interior floor updates
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Work commenced on the sacristy ramp and keyway, the terrazzo floors, and the nave marble tile.
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June 2025: Construction milestones inside and out
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A few more major construction milestones were reached this month. The mural in the apse (behind the main altar) was installed, and the new chiller for the church HVAC was started for the first time. Not only will the cathedral be beautiful, it will also be cool and comfortable during our hot and humid Wisconsin summers!
Outside, concrete was poured in the Atwood Ave. plaza. Hardware was also attached to the five bells, preparing them for installation in the tower.
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July 2025: Bell updates and Mausoleum approval
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In July 2025, the cathedral's bells were attached to a new support cage from the church parking lot. The supporting structure for the bell tower also arrived from Sauk City.
Madison City Common Council approved a permit for the episcopal mausoleum. When the mausoleum is complete, many of our former bishops' remains will be interred there, a fitting resting place for our diocese's past (and future) shepherds.
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August and September 2025: Flooring, Rectory, and Parking Lot updates
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The last weeks of summer saw progress or the completion of many projects related to the floors in buildings across the cathedral campus! Terrazzo and marble tiles were installed in the church, including images of the instruments of Christ's Passion, which are located in the nave aisles, near the Stations of the Cross.
New flooring was also installed in the choir loft and rectory (both pictured below).
The rectory also received several updates. Residential spaces that were not being used have been converted into a new, larger vestry, allowing ample room for large numbers of priests to prepare for Mass. Meeting rooms that are open to the parish community and are accessible to people with mobility issues are also being completed.
Also of note is the completion of a covered parking lot portico (pictured below), which will make unloading passengers and cargo in inclement weather much quicker and safer. The structure will be covered with a stone veneer.
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New flooring in the choir loft
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New flooring in the rectory
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Parking lot portico
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October 2025: Reredos, exterior improvements, "Hidden" spaces
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Progress continues across the cathedral campus this fall! In the sanctuary area, the reredos (the decorative screen behind the altar) is coming along. This includes the installation of niches that will soon house statues of the apostles.
The inside of the church is not the only part of campus that is being enhanced; outside, new landscaping, with shrubs, flowers, and trees, is underway. Campus security is also of the utmost importance, so several new surveillance cameras have been installed.
Several more "hidden" additions have also been made in the church; while these areas are not visible to everyone, they are important to the behind-the-scenes functioning of the cathedral during liturgies. These include the completion of the sacristy keyway ramp and the installation of storage for a choral library.
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Progress on the reredos, with a few statue niches installed to the right of the window
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One of the new trees planted across campus
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A new security camera
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Completed sacristy keyway ramp
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Choral music storage
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November 2025: Bells installation, woodworking, and more
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On November 5, the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux met an important construction milestone: The bells were installed in the bell tower! This process required careful precision and minimal wind as crews delicately lowered the support structure containing the bells into the tower. The tower now houses five bells, three that are original to St. Bernard Church and two that were salvaged from the Cathedral of St. Raphael. They were consecrated in January by Bishop Hying.
After the cathedral is dedicated, the bells will ring on the hour and half-hour from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, and they will toll for major events such as ordinations, weddings, funerals, and significant moments in the universal Church. Cathedral bells will ring out in Madison once again, proclaiming the glory of God and calling the faithful to worship!
You can watch highlights from the bell installation in the video below, which was also shared on our social media channels.
Other highlights from this past month of construction include: Progress on woodworking and staining of the reredos, trim, and finishes for the niches; the installation of the first of the new lighting fixtures in the church; completion of electrical work in the rectory; framing of the vesting sacristy walls and keyway ramp; additional landscaping, and preparation for the north fence installation.
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December 2025 and January 2026
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A highlight of the final month of 2025 was the Jubilee closing celebration at the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux! On Sunday, December 28, Bishop Donald J. Hying celebrated Mass to close out the 2025 Jubilee Year. The Mass was held in the gym and drew hundreds of faithful!
After Mass, the doors of the cathedral were opened to visitors for an open house, highlighting the beautiful progress that has been made so far on the elevation project. It was so wonderful to welcome so many and to see people taking pictures and admiring the stunning additions to the church. This event offered a hint at how glorious our new cathedral will be when it is finished and full of people at special liturgies, Sunday Masses, and much more!
These pictures give you a sense of just how far we've come in this process! There is still work to be done, but thanks to the generosity of our many benefactors, we are getting closer to our dedication.
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