Our Parish

History of Saint Bernadette Church

Saint Bernadette was established as a mission parish in 1940 by Bishop Eugene McGuinness to serve the Catholics of Avery County.  A small chapel located in the Linville township was dedicated and named Saint Patricia by the bishop.

By the end of the 1970’s, the North Carolina mountains had become a popular summer vacation spot, and the 30-seat St. Patricia Chapel could no longer accommodate the growing number of Catholics.  A building fund was established in 1977, and a search began for a location for the new Catholic church.

In 1984, a ten-acre tract of land facing Grandfather Mountain was purchased, and construction began three years later.  The first Mass was celebrated in the new Saint Bernadette Church on December 31, 1988.