Joseph Basil Roper was a Roman Catholic priest in Australia. He was the

Roman Catholic Bishop of Toowoomba The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba is a Latin Rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, established in 1929, covering the Darling Downs and south west regions of Queensland, Australia. St Patrick's Cathedral is the seat of t ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Early life

Roper was born on 9 March 1888 at

Dennington Dennington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. It is north of Framlingham and north-east of Ipswich in the east of the county. It lies along the A1120 road around west of the road's junction with the main A12 ro ...

near Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia. There he attended

St Ann's College St Ann's College is a co-residential college in North Adelaide, South Australia. In its early decades, the college had only female boarders. Today it houses 197 tertiary students, both sexes, in single rooms; rooms in the new buildings have ens ...

, run by the Sisters of Mercy and then transferred to the

Christian Brothers' College Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ (title), Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive ...

in 1902 which had been established for boys in that year.

Religious life

In 1906, Roper commenced his training for the priesthood at

St Patrick's Seminary St Patrick's Seminary, Manly is a heritage-listed former residence of the Archbishop of Sydney and Roman Catholic Church seminary at 151 Darley Road, Manly, Northern Beaches Council, New South Wales, Australia. The property was also known as ...

in Manly,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, where he was one of their most brilliant students. On 30 November 1911 Roper was ordained a Roman Catholic priest at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney and commenced his service in the Diocese of Ballarat, Victoria. On 13 July 1938 he was appointed as Bishop of Toowoomba in Queensland, being consecrated on 18 October 1938 at St Patrick's Cathedral in Ballarat in a service led by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Daniel Mannix. He was then enthroned at St Patrick's Cathedral in Toowoomba on 20 November 1938 in a service led by

Archbishop of Brisbane In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

, James Duhig. As bishop, he was characterised for his efforts to get to know people. He increased the number of parishes in the diocese from 19 to 32.

Later life

In October 1952, Roper announced his retirement due to his failing health not being able to cope with the demands of his role, but continued in an administrative capacity until he was replaced. He was then appointed as Titular Bishop of Elusa. He retired to Ararat in Victoria, where he died on 28 July 1964.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roper, Joseph Basil Roman Catholic bishops of Toowoomba 1888 births 1964 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Australia