WALTHAM, Mass. — Bro. Roland Bernier, S.M., died on September 12, 2013, in Newton Wellesley Hospital. He was 79.

Bro. Roland was born in Brunswick, Maine, on January 4, 1934, a son of the late Calixte and Celinda (Michaud) Bernier.

Bro. Roland became acquainted with the Society of Mary through the ministry of the Marist Fathers, Brothers and Marist Missionary Sisters. He and his family were particularly influenced by the Marists at St. John the Baptist Parish in his hometown of Brunswick, Maine.

After the eighth grade Bro. Roland went to work at his father’s construction company and quickly learned the tricks of the trade. While he thought of having his own construction company someday, get married and move on with his business, at his family’s surprise, he chose to leave home and enter the Marist Community.

During his postulancy and during his three years as a temporary professed brother, he was involved in much of the building maintenance of Marist Prep Seminary, Bedford, Marist College and Seminary, Framingham and worked closely with Bro. Louis LaChance at renovating the newly acquired Marist Second Novitiate House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

In late fall of 1957, he returned to Marist Prep Seminary to prepare himself for his perpetual profession on December 8, 1957. On January 1st he left Boston for Oceania celebrating his 25th birthday in California before leaving for New Hebrides, now known as Vanuatu, where he served from 1958-1977.

After six months in New Hebrides, Bro. Roland contracted malaria and was in the hospital when a tidal wave hit and destroyed Tana mission station. Bro. Roland was asked to rebuild a new church and father’s house. Though fighting the illness Bro. Roland and his team were successful, this was the beginning of his own building career. Bro. Roland formed a construction company with Fr. Paul Monnier, a French Marist. Because their own labor was given freely they were able to cover expenses with very little money. Once the construction company got going, new buildings began to appear on all sides. There was a girls’ school, complete with dormitories and a Sister’s apartment. Over the next few years many schools were built and all of this was accomplished with the help of the Lord and His Mother almost miraculously. These were the Brothers of the Society of Mary … without their zeal and hard work, the Church would not have been established on these far flung islands.

Bro. Roland is survived by his sisters, Sr. Jeannette Bernier S.M.S. of Waltham, Sr. Rolande Bernier P.S.S.F. of Sherbrook, Canada and Yvette Peru of Kailua, Hawaii.

He was the brother of the late Robert Bernier, Raymond Bernier and Annette Lapointe.

Bro. Roland’s funeral Mass was celebrated on Tuesday, September 17, 2013, in Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church, Waltham, MA. Burial followed in Saint John’s Cemetery, Brunswick, ME. Memorial donations may be made to the Marist Mission Office, 27 Isabella Street, Boston, MA 02116. For online condolences, visit www.joycefuneralhome.com.