Rhode Island Picture Post Cards
Saint Bernard Catholic Church - Wickford, RI
First in a set of 4 Postcards from Mrs. Carl Bowman mailed in 1944
(Scroll Down for History and Background Information)

The Post Card, (one of a set of 4 - all addressed to Donna Seerist  of Muscatine, Iowa) was mailed on July 6, 1944. The other three postcards in the set were all mailed between July and August 1944.  The stamp is the 1 cent Four Freedoms Issue of 1943 and is a stamp I haven't seen postally used very often. The same stamp was also used on the other three postcards in this set. Mrs. Bowman mailed two of the cards from Wickford, RI and two from Hamilton, RI.

St. Bernard Catholic Church was established on July 24, 1874 to administer to those  parishioners residing in North Kingstown and Eastern Exeter. Bishop Thomas F. Hendricken, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Providence performed the dedication and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation for the new church on July 4, 1875. 

Prior to St. Bernard being established in Wickford, the spiritual needs of the community were met by Father William Halligan of  "Our Lady of Mercy" in East Greenwich. Services were held at the old Wickford Town Hall on West Main Street, the Saunderstown school house and in the homes of local residents.

The first resident pastor at Saint Bernard was Father John H. McKenna, assigned in 1904.  The Reverend Dennis A. Reardon was appointed as pastor in October 1999 and as of this writing is currently still in residence.