Bernard Mahoney was born on July 24, 1875, in Albany, New York, to Daniel and Honora (née O'Connor) Mahoney, who were Irish immigrants.[1] His father worked for the Boston and Albany Railroad and moved the family to Rensselaer when Bernard was still a child.[2] He received his early education at St. John's Academy in Rensselaer, but left school to work as a telegraph operator for Western Union in Albany.[2] He later worked as an Associated Press telegrapher for the Troy Evening Standard and the Albany Knickerbocker Press.[1]
Mahoney was encouraged to study for the priesthood by Rev. James Duffy, the pastor of St. John's in Rensselaer.[1] In the fall of 1895, he entered Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, graduating four years later at the top of his class.[2] He was then sent to Rome to study philosophy and theology at the Pontifical North American College.[2]
While in Rome, Mahoney was ordained a priest on February 27, 1904, by Giuseppe Ceppetelli.[3] Following his ordination, he returned to New York and served as assistant pastor under Rev. John Walsh at St. Peter's Church in Troy.[1]
In 1909, Mahoney was named to succeed Rev. John Patrick Farrelly as the spiritual director of his alma mater, the Pontifical North American College in Rome.[4] During this time, he also earned the degree of Doctor of Sacred Theology and arranged appointments for Americans seeking a papal audience.[1] In 1917, he was given the title of Monsignor.[5]
On May 24, 1922, Mahoney was appointed Bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, by Pope Pius XI.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 29 in Rome from Cardinal Gaetano de Lai, with Archbishop Giovanni Zonghi and Bishop Giacomo Sinibaldi serving as co-consecrators.[3] He formally took charge of the Diocese of Sioux Falls on October 4, 1922, when he was installed at St. Joseph's Cathedral.[6]
Mahoney's 17 years as bishop were marked by poor economic conditions and a heavy diocesan debt.[2] While the number of priests in the diocese increased from 156 to 174 under his tenure, the total Catholic population fell from 71,000 to 60,000 during the same period.[7][8] He was also forced to close Columbus College due to financial difficulties in 1929.[9] However, he did establish Cathedral High School in 1926.[10]
Mahoney died on March 20, 1939, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, following an operation to have a goitre removed.[2]
