The Blessing and Opening of St. Bernadette's Les Quennevais

St. Bernadette's church was built at Les Quennevais to replace chapels dedicated to St Teresa and Our Lady of Lourdes, which were situated at La Moye and St Ouen, and a chapel at St Peter, which was lost when the airport runway was extended.

The foundation stone of St Bernadette was laid by Cardinal Heenan in June 1971 and it was opened in September 1972 by Bishop Derek Worlock. The church currently seats over 300 people. During the 1980s a hall was built attached to the church. This hall was opened by Bishop Crispian Hollis in May 1990.

The Blessing and Opening of St. Bernadette's Les Quennevais
by Leo Harris.
(From Jersey Catholic Record, October 1972)

A congregation estimated at five hundred people were present on Sunday September 10 to see our Bishop, the Reverend Derek Worlock bless and open the newly erected church dedicated to St. Bernadette. 

Among those present was the Bailiff of Jersey, Sir Robert Le Masurier, Lt. Commander de las Casas representing the Governor, the Vice-Dean of Jersey and States members. The Constables of St. Brelade, St. Peter and St. Lawrence were also among our distinguished guests as well as representatives of nearly every religious persuasion on the Island.

It was singularly appropriate that the Bishop should have arrived to open the church directly from his visit to Lourdes and he stressed this in his sermon preached during the first Mass which followed the blessing of the external and internal boundaries of the building itself. 

The impression of space and light in this crowded church had to be experienced to be believed and is a further tribute to the architect, Mr. Richards who has given us a worthy yet modern building to be the centre of our worship in this district.

Now let us make full use of our new church and should you visit it in the near future perhaps you would say a prayer for all those who have made this all a reality and whose names are too numerous to mention here.