Joseph Bernardin grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended Yale University, Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Oxford University in England and the Theological School in Harvard University. He was an Episcopal Priest and also a member of the Army Chaplain Corps. He was the Assistant Minister and Minister-in-Charge at different parishes through the years, including Priest-in-Charge at All Saints Church in Nevada, Missouri and Trinity Church in Lamar, Missouri, Master at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts, Assistant at All Angels’ Church in New York City, St. John’s Church and St. Luke’s Mission in Knoxville, Tennessee, Minister-in-Charge at St. Andrew’s Church in Maryville, Tennessee and Trinity Church, Gatlinburg, Tennessee and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lake Placid, Florida. His first position was as Master at the Choir School and Assistant to the Dean of the Cathedral at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. He resigned from this position amid controversy between Bishop William T. Manning who wanted to fire Bernardin for “insubordination” and “disobedience” and the Dean of the School, the Very Rev. Howard Chandler Robbins. In 1939 he was in charge of the American Church of the Ascension in Munich, Germany until October, and returned to this Church from 1959-1966.

He retired to Williamsburg, Virginia in 1971 and moved to a retirement community in Virginia Beach in 1983.

He never married. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .