Bernard Dowdell was born in Wollongong in 1946. He attended school at St Francis Xavier’s and then C.B.C. Wollongong before and after its re-naming as Edmund Rice College.

In 1963 he entered St Columba’s College Springwood (and also in Rome) to study for the priesthood, and was ordained in Wollongong in September 1969.

After his ordination, he was appointed Assistant Priest at Port Kembla for three years, Nowra for seven years and Campbelltown for four years.

Since then he has been appointed at Ruse, Milton-Ulladulla and Corrimal for six years periods as Parish Priest. He was appointed Assistant Priest at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral and Catholic Chaplain to Wollongong Hospital in January 2007.