On May 28th, 1929, the Holy See issues a decree erecting Toowoomba Diocese, and on 1st September that year, our first Bishop, Most Rev James Byrne, was consecrated in St Patrick's Church, from then known as St Patrick's Cathedral. Six Bishops have guided the Toowoomba Diocese in the consolidation of those early foundations. When the Diocese was founded it covered all the territory in the southern
part of Queensland south of the twenty-fifth degree of south latitude and west of the Auburn and great Dividing Ranges. The area is four hundred and eighty seven thousand square kilometers. At its commencement, in 1929, there were fifteen parishes and twenty priests. During the last seventy years these numbers have fluctuated greatly. At its peak there were thirty-eight parishes. Today we are fortunate in having thirty-five parishes, who are founded on the support of strong community, priests, religious and a growing ecumenical movement. Today the physical structure of our Church is very different to those beginnings. We are now a whole made up of many parts. Clergy, religious, pastoral leaders, parish pastoral councils, youth groups, education, catechists, Care and Concern, CWL, St Vincent de Paul, Knights of the Southern Cross, home communion, finance committees, liturgy groups, SPRED, Caritas, Mission, Rosies, Centacare, Social Justice Commission, P & F and prayer groups all show the diversity of our participation. As we journey through the second millennium, the Diocese of Toowoomba is meeting the many challenges facing it. We are reminded that we are all united by our baptism (priests, religious and laity). It is because of this unique bond that we are called to active participation in our Church – through celebration of Eucharist, prayer and community support. In strengthening the bonds of our Diocesan community we also become active participants in strengthening the Church's mission for the life of the world.