Facing the large financial hurdle of buying a new heating and air conditioning system, the parishioners of St. Bernardine Parish were greatly surprised when Grand Knight Carlos Avalos and Knight of Columbus Bruce Ewing of Council 4488 presented a gift of $20,000 on March 2. 

Father Leonard DePasquale, I.M.C., V.F., Parish Administrator, expressed the thanks of the parishioners for this very generous donation and for all the good work that the Knights of Columbus of Council 4488 have done for St. Bernardine and for many other parishes and organizations that they help through their Charity Fund.

This donation is being given to assist the parish in carrying out a project of replacement of the air conditioning/heating system of the historical Church of St. Bernardine. The overall cost of the project is estimated at $60,000 to replace two, 12.5 ton units on the roof of the church, and add a new gas line for heating. 

St. Bernardine Church, built in 1912, is located in the heart of downtown San Bernardino. The parish is the oldest of the Diocese of San Bernardino, founded in 1862. March 18 marked the 25th anniversary of the seismic retrofitting of the church building. The traditional brick structure had been declared unsafe in case of an earthquake by local and state government. In 1994, the parishioners completed a project of restructuring and reinforcing the ceiling and walls with a steel frame. The work, completed in two months, cost $260,000. The parishioners of St. Bernardine have always worked hard to maintain St. Bernardine as a beautiful landmark and place of worship.

Full story at Inland Catholic Byte.