About Our Parish

Under the patronage of the Apostle St. Bartholomew, this parish was founded in 1937 and dedicated on March 12, 1939 by Archbishop John J. Cantwell, D.D. The Parish Hall was completed in 1946 and was remodeled to meet the needs of a growing parish several times. In 1951, Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Manning dedicated the school at 4545 E. Fourth Street, staffed by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters, and a convent.  The school and convent were closed in 1975 and the property was subdivided and sold.   The remaining parcel, a multi-purpose student center, was converted to the Youth Center for Religious Education formation classes and was sold in 2021.  Known fondly as “St. Barts,” this parish has grown to serve more than 1,300 families during its 86-year history.

St. Bartholomew has been led by eight pastors. Monsignor Thomas F. Kennedy, from New York City, was the founding Pastor and continued to serve the parish for 38 years.

Subsequent pastorates were led by:

• 1975 to 1984 Monsignor Peter C. Caslin of County Roscommon, Ireland.
• 1984 to 1991 Monsignor Thomas McGovern of County Cavan, Ireland.
• 1991 to 2002 Monsignor Jerome Elder of Ohio.
• 2002 to 2006 Monsignor Sean Flanagan of County Dublin, Ireland.
• 2006 to 2014 Monsignor Bernard Leheny of County Sligo, Ireland.
• 2014 to 2021 Father Michael Reardon of County Limerick, Ireland.

Father Mark A. Strader, from Redondo Beach, California, was appointed Pastor in July 2021.