About Our Parish

Parish History

In November of 1950, Archbishop Hoban established the first Catholic parish in Westlake and appointed Rev. Joseph C. Dempsey as the founding pastor. Father Dempsey, who had just returned from Lourdes at the time, suggested that the new parish be placed under the patronage of Saint Bernadette. About 250 families from St. Angela and St. Christopher parishes comprised the new St. Bernadette Parish, and for 18 months Mass was offered in the auditorium of Dover School. By September 8, 1952, construction was completed on a five-room school and a gymnasium that would serve as a temporary church and would be called St. Bernadette Hall. Growth of the new parish was rapid. Since most of the new parishioners had children of school age, St. Bernadette School underwent three subsequent expansions. In 1954, St. Joseph Hall, with four additional classrooms and the auditorium was built. Two years later, St. Pius Hall was completed, along with four more classrooms. In 1958 Mount Carmel Hall with its eight classrooms was constructed.