Rev Ralph Underwood
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Ralph
Middle Names:
Norman
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Underwood
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Oakey QLD
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
St Patrick's Cathedral, Toowoomba QLD
Country of Ordination:
Australia
Ordination Diocese:
Toowoomba
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Helidon QLD
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toowoomba | Charleville | 1950 | 1951 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar | |||||
| Toowoomba | Roma | 1952 | 1953 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar | |||||
| Toowoomba | Toowoomba | Bishop's Secretary | 1954 | Feb | 1976 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar | |||
| Toowoomba | Helidon | Parish Priest | May | 1960 | 1988 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Gravestone | |||
| Toowoomba | Toowoomba | Chancellor | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar | ||||||
| Toowoomba | East Toowoomba | 1952 | May | 1960 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar |
Biographical Notes
Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rev Fr Ralph Norman Underwood, died 7 July 1988
Ralph Norman Underwood was born in Oakey on 25th October, 1921, to Ralph Norman and Emma Mary (nee Pobar). He was educated at St Monica's, Oakey, and Downlands College, Toowoomba. After school he attended Teacher's Training College in Brisbane and his first posting was to Cunnamulla. The heat and dust of the west nonplussed the sombre, gentle nature of the young school teacher. Army life, which under compulsion, he had to endure was far from his liking. Ralph entered Banyo Seminary in 1943 fully and honestly committed to his work and studies finding them not beyond him but enough to cope. He was gifted in the fields of Oratory and Drama and played many great parts in Drama Presentations. He was ordained in St Patrick's Cathedral, Toowoomba, on 25th July, 1949 by Bishop Basil Roper. . He served at Charleville (1950-51); Roma (1952-53) and was tremendously dedicated to his work but could not understand the West. In 1954 Bishop William Brennan invited him to be the Bishop's Secreatry, a role he carried out until February 1976. He was Director of the Propagation of the Faith from the mid 1950's until the early 1960's. In May 1979 Bishop Edward Kelly appointed him as Chairman and Convenor of an Ecumenical Committee in the Diocese whereby he was invited to foster the cause of Ecumenism in the Diocese. He was the first Catholic Priest to be accepted into the Toowoomba Ministers' Fraternal. He was Parish Priest at Helidon for 26 years. He was acting Chancellor from 1957 and was officially appointed Chancellor of the Diocese on 7th August 1979 for 31 years. From 1952 until May 1960 he ministered to the people of Holy Angel's in Toowoomba. He was loved by his parishioners. He held many interests, particularly the arts and music. Inclined to be a mystic - he was interested in Benedictine theology and monasticism. He died suddenly on 7th July 1988 and is buried at Helidon.
(Ref. Archives, Fr B. Kane and Eulogy by Fr Stan Skehan).
Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.