On May 19, 1973, I was ordained a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Australia, along with eleven other candidates. I was in Form 5 at St. Joseph’s CBC North Melbourne when I began wondering about what I would do with my life after school. That was it, I was concerned about my life, not about a job or career. I had been blessed with a loving family and childhood, raised with faith by Mum and Dad and always loved by them and my sisters, so I wanted to use my life in thanks to God for all the blessings I had received. What was I to do?
As our family had always been closely involved in the parish of Sacred Heart Newport, the priests were a part of our life, I said to myself, why not go to the seminary. There I would have time to further think about what I would do with my life. It wasn’t necessarily about the priesthood. I was shy, locked in my inner self, afraid of the world and all it involved. I needed a haven. Then I had to decide — which seminary?
As we used to get the Far East magazine and the Columban Calendar, naturally the Columbans came to mind. So one day after school at North, I got on the tram and came out to Essendon and met the recently deceased Fr. Bernard Cleary who was vocations Director at the time. And so I entered the seminary in 1967. About a month after arriving there, I was thanking the Lord Jesus that He had brought me to the right place. For the first time in my life I felt free, I was with like-minded people and I knew — for the first time — that I was on the way to priesthood.
The next relevant thing in the story happened on this date in 1973 during the prostration in the Ordination Ceremony. I got cold feet; I guess I had a panic attack. I was thinking that I cannot do this, but just as suddenly a feeling of peace, like a warm, soft blanket came over me and I heard my Lord Jesus say “You can do this, Bernie, relax and believe in me.” So when I stood up from the prostration, I was a new man looking forward to my future. Furthermore, since that day I have always prayed and talked with Jesus as a brother, a mate, a loving friend.
In June 1974, I left by ship from Port Melbourne for Korea on July 5, and Fr. Jack Evans joined me in Sydney. We arrived in Seoul on August 20, 1974. As feast days are important in Korea, I discovered later that August 20 is Bernard’s Feast day. I arrived in Korea on my feast day. So far, everything for me was blessed, and I was happy.
We did one year at language school, then as a curate in a parish, and another year of language study. Although I did well in the parish in Chuncheon, back at language school I was hopeless — I couldn’t understand what the teachers were saying — I dreaded having questions directed at me. I was really embarrassed because all the students were conversing in Korean, and I was a real dummy. I fell into despair and decided that if I couldn’t speak Korean, then I would have to go back home. But just as I was thinking this, the Regional Director appointed me to Mosulpo parish in Cheju Island. I knew that Mosulpo was a one-man parish, so I said to him “What by myself ?” He said yes as the parish priest. I thought to myself maybe I will be better able to learn the language on my own on the job. In the next 12 months, I discovered that even with my limited language ability, I was still able to be a witness of the Risen Lord, a disciple of Jesus. Since then, apart from two brief stints in the United States, I have been in Korea for 48 years.
After Cheju Diocese, I was in Chuncheon Diocese, Kwang Ju Diocese, Suwon Diocese, and in Seoul Archdiocese. In 1998, I went into the Mission Promotion ministry, first in Seoul, then Jeju and later Busan where I worked until retirement in 2018. Since then I’ve helped out in a small way by celebrating benefactors’ Masses when called upon.
That then is my story of the past 51 years. I really want to say, the common thread throughout my life is — I can say that from day one — I have always had the attitude of waiting upon the Lord. To quote Scripture “The Lord formed me in my mother’s womb.” The spirit of the Lord led me to the Seminary. The spirit of my Lord Jesus led me to the Columbans, the Spirit of Jesus spoke to me during the prostration at ordination. I was sent to South Korea, and from then on I have been led by the Spirit of Jesus from day one to this day….Amen.
This article is an abbreviated version of the homily given by Fr. Bernie at his Golden Jubilee Celebration Mass in Melbourne. Fr. Bernie lives and works in Korea.