Pioneer Priests of Australia 1800-1870

Fr Ted Cooper brings alive the early days of Roman Catholicism in Australia by telling the stories of its pioneer priests. From those who arrived at the outset as convicted felons, to the first official appointments, through a wonderful assortment of diverse personalities, we meet at first hand a group of priests, seventeen in all, who fostered the initial development of the Catholic faith here in Australia.
We see the significant contribution of the Irish Church to the Australian story; we see too, the hardships experienced by these men ÔÇô the tough climate, vast distances, the lack of buildings and supplies, and the dwellings they lived in, which often amounted simply to a ÔÇÿslab cottage with a bark roofÔÇÖ.

The author does not shrink from the horrors attending the life of a priest in the colony. This is a story of hardship and struggle, but ultimately of triumph. Fr Cooper has written this book as a tribute to those who went before, those who struggled against all sorts of obstacles, but who made an outstanding contribution to Australian Catholic history.