Father Bernard Day

Online records show that Father Bernard Maxwell Day was ordained as a priest in 1936 and retired from the priesthood in the late 1970s. Father Day served all of his religious career within the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. In particular, Father Day served at the following parishes:

• Collingwood;

• Essendon;

• Altona;

• North Melbourne;

• Balaclava;

• Daylesford;

• Pakenham; and

• Cheltenham.

It is reported also that Father Day is known to have served at the following institutions:

• St Catherine’s Children’s Home in Geelong, Victoria;

• St Ursula’s College in Macedon, Victoria; and

• North Fitzroy Primary School (amongst other primary schools in the Clifton Hill Parish).

Information obtained by Broken Rites indicates that Father Day was accused of molesting children at the following institutions:

• St Catherine’s Children’s Home - accused and thrown out of the institution by Reverend Mother Aquin (head of the Sisters of Mercy at the Home) for molesting girls in the chaplain’s flat at the home which was occupied by Father Day between 1961 to 1963,

• North Fitzroy Primary School - accused and banned from the School for molesting girls in the corridors and schoolyard when he used to attend the school to conduct religious instruction classes between 1971 to 1974.

Father Day died on 14 November 1988 and even though he was never convicted on any charges, the Archdiocese of Melbourne did admit in 2013 in a submission to the Parliament of Victoria’s “, that Father Day had committed offences against children.

Moody Law has in the past represented clients who have made allegations of sexual and physical abuse against certain religious members of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.

We invite former victims to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

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