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Bishop Bernard Wallace was the first diocesan priest to lead the Rockhampton Diocese. His Episcopal Ordination at St Joseph’s Cathedral, Rockhampton by Archbishop Francis Rush of Brisbane and twenty members of the Australian Episcopal College on 24th April 1974 was the start of a busy episcopate that resulted in the completion of St Joseph’s Cathedral, the establishment of the Centenary Foundation and the successful celebration of the centenary.
An accomplished theologian and historian, Bishop Wallace did not stint himself. He was well known to his priests, many of whom were students during his long period as lecturer and vice-rector at Banyo Seminary, Brisbane.
Bishop Wallace was born in Melbourne on 21st January 1919, the youngest of the four sons of Michael and Margaret Wallace. Bernard Wallace was educated by the Christian Brothers at East St Kilda from 1925-1932 and at St Kevin’s, Toorak during 1933-34. He was a student for two years with the Columban Fathers at Essendon, Melbourne, then was accepted for the diocesan priesthood by Bishop Romuald Hayes of Rockhampton in 1937.
The young Bernard Wallace studied philosophy at St Columba’s, Springwood, NSW in 1937-38 and went on to St Patrick’s College, Manly, NSW. In February, 1942, when still a sub-deacon, he received the exceptional appointment to the staff of the then newly-founded Pius XII Seminary, Banyo, Brisbane.
On 26th July 1942, he was ordained priest by Archbishop Daniel Mannix at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral. Earlier in the year he had been raised to the diaconate by Archbishop James Duhig in Brisbane. After ordination Father Wallace returned to Banyo and remained there until the end of 1947. From 1948-52 he did parochial duties at Bundaberg and Mt Morgan. In 1954 the future bishop returned to Banyo Seminary. In 1963-64 he spent eighteen months in Rome. From 1954 onwards, he remained at Banyo Seminary becoming Vice-Rector in 1968, a post he held until he was ordained Bishop of Rockhampton. He was official observer on the Faith and Order Commission of the Queensland Committee of the Australian Council of Churches.
Bishop Wallace retired as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton on 4th May 1990 and died on 8th November 1990 after a battle with cancer. His motto “The Truth Will Set You Free” was the theme for his Funeral Liturgy which took place at St Joseph’s Cathedral. On the liturgy booklet Bishop Bernard is quoted as saying, “I was drawn to the priesthood through the missions. In fact, my original desire was to be a missionary rather than a priest. As a boy, I rejected the notion of being a Christian Brother – having ‘no taste for teaching’. Similarly I had left aside the diocesan priesthood because I felt no attraction for parish work. Yet in God’s good time I finished up as a diocesan priest and taught in a seminary for 25 years – and liked it. Surely the Almighty must have his own sense of humour.” Bishop Wallace is buried in the North Rockhampton Cemetery. |
