Joseph Edward Bidwill was born on 2 May 1928 in Chicago, Illinois to Arthur John Bidwill and Mildred Rose (Dowdell) Bidwill. Father Bidwill had two younger siblings, Neal Bidwill and Jane (Bidwill) Maus. Their father served as a State Senator for Illinois. Father Bidwill attended Francis Willard and Saint Vincent Ferrer Elementary schools in River Forest, Illinois. He graduated from Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois in 1945 and then went on to study for three years at the University of Notre Dame School of Engineering. Responding to the call to religious life, Father Bidwill entered the novitiate for the Order of Preachers in September 1948 at Saint Thomas Aquinas Priory in River Forest, Illinois and was given the religious name of Edmund. Later that year, the novitiate moved to the new Saint Peter Martyr Priory & Novitiate in Winona, Minnesota. He professed his first vows on 29 September 1949 at Saint Peter Martyr Priory. He then studied philosophy at Saint Thomas Aquinas Priory/Dominican House of Studies in River Forest and continued his studies in theology in preparation for the priesthood at Saint Rose Priory in Dubuque, Iowa. He was ordained 19 May 1955 in Dubuque. In 1974 Father Bidwill received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Andover Newton Theological School.

As a priest, Father Bidwill was involved in teaching, preaching and he held several offices in the Province of Sant Albert the Great. Following his ordination, he taught philosophy and theology at Smyth Hall at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa (1956-1980), Saint Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota (1961-1968), and Scripture at Saint Catherine Motherhouse in Louisville, Kentucky (1974-1979). He served as assistant novice master, student master, and later prior at Holy Rosary Priory and Saint Albert the Great Priory in Minneapolis.

From 1979 until 2012 Father Bidwill was actively involved in itinerant preaching. He formed the preaching team that included Father Tony Kilroy, O.P., and Sister Dorothy Mrock, O.S.F. Together they traveled throughout the country giving parish missions, retreats and renewals featuring the theme: God loves us and calls us to love others.

Father Bidwill's publications include: "Imitation and the Ideal," Reality, volume 3 (Winter, 1952); The Christian Life, volume 2 of the College Texts in Theology Series which Father Bidwill collaborated with others in preparing (Priory Press, 1956), and The Challenge of Christ series of high school religious books in which Father Bidwill also collaborated (Priory Press, 1966 - 68).

In 2012, after over 30 years of itinerant preaching, Father Bidwill was assigned to the assisted living center at Saint Pius V Priory in Chicago. Suffering from Parkinson's disease, his health continued to decline, and he was relocated in 2013 to Resurrection Life Center in Chicago. Father Bidwill died on 30 April 2018 at Resurrection Life Center surrounded by his Dominican brothers. He was survived by a brother-in-law, William Maus as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Services were held at Saint Vincent Ferrer Church in River Forest, Illinois on Friday, 4 May 2018. Mass of Christian Burial began at 10:00AM preceded by Sung Morning Prayer at 9:00AM. Father James V. Marchionda, O.P., Prior Provincial, presided and preached. Funeral arrangements were handled by Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home. He was buried in the Dominican Section at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.