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Notre Dame de Lourdes Church (Fall River, Massachusetts)
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Notre Dame de Lourdes, known from 2012 to 2018 as St. Bernadette Parish, is a former Roman Catholic parish in Fall River, Massachusetts. A part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, the parish was established in 1874 to serve the growing French-Canadian population located in the city's Flint Village section.[1] Since its founding, the parish has occupied three different church buildings; a wooden structure (1874–1893), a spectacular granite church (1906–1982) and the current modern church (1986-2018). The parish complex over time has also consisted of other multiple buildings, including St. Joseph's Orphanage, The Jesus Marie Convent, a school, the church rectory, the Brothers' residence, and the former Msgr. Prevost High School. The parish also includes Notre Dame Cemetery, located in the city's south end.
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In March 2012, the diocese announced that Notre Dame de Lourdes parish would be merging with nearby Immaculate Conception parish, with the new combined parish renamed Saint Bernadette Parish.[2] This name gives a connection to both parishes as it was Saint Bernadette who was reported to have witnessed the apparition of the Immaculate Conception (the Virgin Mary) at Lourdes, France.