Father Bernadine George Dyer
Diocese of Richmond
Ordained: 1961
Removed: 2010
Died: 2013
Assigned as follows:
- St. Pius Church (Chicago, Illinois)
- St. Luke Church (Brownsville, TX)
- University of Texas, Campus Ministry (Brownsville, Edinburg, TX)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Bernadine George Dyer:
Father Bernadine George Dyer became part of the Province of St. Martin de Porres when it was formed in 1979. He returned to the Dominican Friars in 1983. He was dismissed from the Order in 2010, and died in 2013.
According to media reports, in 2004, a man reported an allegation that Father Dyer sexually abused him multiple times as a 12-year-old boy in the late 1960s to early 1970s at St. Pius Church in Chicago. In an April 2018 Facebook post he wrote, “I now know that he groomed me. He saw me as his perfect victim. I was poor. I had a single mother. It was obvious that I was disabled.”
The man also alleged there were other victims as the priest, “coerced me to invite more children to join us for swimming on Saturdays at Fenwick. I thought that I would be safe at the pool if more people were around. I was wrong. Dyer fondled every boy whom I invited. He continued to abuse me,” he said.
In late 2018, Father Dyer’s name appeared publicly on the Dominicans St. Joseph Province’s list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors. No further information including the age/gender of the victims, or the priest’s assignment at the time of the alleged abuse was released.
In January 2019, Father Dyer’s name also appeared publicly on the Diocese of Brownsville’s list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors. In February 2019, his name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Richmond’s list, with a note that the allegation was “dismissed.”
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Richmond. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Richmond, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Richmond now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.