As a priest, author and activist, Bernard has worked for the rights of LGBT people for more than forty years.
Bernard is best known for his work with AIDS victims in New York during the 70s and 80s, and for coming out as a gay Irish Catholic priest.
As seen in the 1990 documentary A Priest On Trial, Bernard’s support for LGBT rights resulted in him facing false abuse allegations in New York, although he ultimately won total exoneration.
He has also been recognised for his activism; receiving a proclamation from New York City Council in 2017, honouring his decades of service to the LGBT and AIDS communities in the city, as well as receiving a Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad for 2019, in the Charitable Works category.
