Bob Maguire

The Reverend Father
Bob Maguire
AM, RFD
Church Sts. Peter and Paul’s, South Melbourne
In office 1973 - 2012
Predecessor Father Lou Heriot
Successor Rev Julian Messina OFM Cap
Orders
Ordination 24 July 1960
Personal details
Birth name Robert John Thomas Maguire
Born (1934-09-14) 14 September 1934
Thornbury, Victoria
Denomination Roman Catholicism
Parents Annie McLoughlin and James Maguire
Occupation Priest
Radio presenter
Community worker
Alma mater Corpus Christi College, Melbourne
Fr Bob Maguire Foundation

The Reverend Father Robert John Thomas Maguire AM, RFD (born 14 September 1934 in Thornbury, Victoria)[1][2] is an Australian Roman Catholic priest, community worker and media personality from South Melbourne. From 1973–2012, a period of 39 years, Maguire was parish priest of Saints Peter and Paul church in South Melbourne. Commonly known as Father Bob, Maguire was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1989 "for service to homeless youth through the Open Family Foundation".[3]

A 102 minute documentary In Bob We Trust, about his life and retirement was released in October 2013.[4]

Early life

Maguire was born in 1934, the son of a violent alcoholic. His father James Maguire migrated from Glasgow in 1922. His mother Annie (née McLaughlin) was usually the subject of her husband's beatings, which frequently left her "cut, bloodied and bruised".[5] Bob was the youngest of four children. His only memory of his father taking any notice of him was when "he’d been away and when he came home, he beat me with his belt".[5] The eldest sibling was Eileen, then Kathleen, then James (Jim) who was eight years older than Bob, the last child. The family had to shift house a number of times when all the rent money was spent on drink.[5] James was often found unconscious in the street and his son Jim had to drag or carry him back home. Sometimes their father drank Bay Rum, an oil used in the preparation of men’s cologne and toiletries.[5] The family was very poor, and Bob had to borrow his brother's old services overcoat to hide the holes in the clothes he wore to school, and he rarely had socks. Bob "looked up to his long-suffering mum" and saw her as a "model of Christian piety".[5]

He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School in Armadale from 1940 to 1947. Bob became an altar boy when he turned eight.[5] In 1945, his sister Kathleen died from tuberculosis when Bob was 11.[5]

Maguire attended high school at Christian Brothers College, St Kilda from 1948 to 1953.[6] His father died from lung cancer the year he started school there. His mother died in 1950. She was 61 and Bob was orphaned at 15.[5]

Priesthood

Maguire studied theology at Corpus Christi College, Melbourne, where he received his training for the priesthood beginning at 1953 when he was 18.[5] During that time he was a beekeeper, which he describes as "one of the finest periods of my life".[7] He was ordained on the 24 July 1960 at the age of 25.[8]

In 1965 he joined the Army Reserve; during the Vietnam war, as a lieutenant colonel, he was commanding officer of the Character Training Unit for young officers.[6]

From 1973 to 2012, a period of 39 years, Maguire was parish priest of Saints Peter and Paul church in South Melbourne.[6][9]

The "Bob Squad" is the Fr Bob Maguire Foundation’s volunteer fundraising and welfare provision arm that is styled on and inspired by Father Bob’s sense of revolutionary approach to social justice. Its slogan is "Viva La Bob" and makes many social and pop culture remarks that align it with the fighting spirit of other revolutionaries such as Che Guevara and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Father Bob Maguire Foundation began in 2003 "in an attempt to gather all my social investments together under one Board of Governance". Maguire started Open Family Australia "over 27 years ago",[10]

Media work

Maguire hosted a radio show on Melbourne radio station 3AW.

He made a guest appearance on the SBS television program John Safran vs God with the Melbourne satirist and documentarian John Safran. From November 2005 to January 2006, he joined Safran as co-host of Speaking in Tongues on SBS television.

He is a co-host of Sunday Night Safran on Australian national youth radio station Triple J on Sunday nights. His popularity is such that he now has his own website and podcast, in addition to the Triple J Sunday Night Safran radio show and podcast. Maguire once described his methods of preaching as "orthodox, yet unconventional". Famous for his occasional religious puns, Maguire once declared that "although we Catholic priests may have better quarters, it's the Anglicans who can afford the better halves!"

In October 2009 he started working as a Judge for the Public Speaking Contest Strictly Speaking, which aired in late 2010. He joined other judges including Jean Kittson and host Andrew Hansen.[11]

Community work

Maguire remains active in community work with Open Family, which he co-founded in 1978, and as president of the Fr Bob Maguire Foundation. He also established the Emerald Hill Mission and Beyond Care. He is a patron of Dance World and the Canonical Administrator to the Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School. According to Maguire, the most important funeral he has ever conducted was that of Victor Peirce.[12]

Retirement

On 7 September 2009 Maguire announced on his blog that he had been contacted by Church authorities and asked to tender his resignation on his upcoming 75th birthday. He replied with a public announcement that he would leave the decision of whether he should stay or go to his congregation. Maguire was finally forced to retire at age 77. He held his last church service on 29 January 2012 at St Peters and Paul's Church in South Melbourne. It was reported as standing room only with at least 1,000 in attendance.[13]

Father Bob's life and forced retirement was subject of the 2013 documentary In Bob We Trust, directed by Lynn-Maree Milburn. The film premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 27 July 2013.[14] He continued his work at radio station Triple J until the end of 2015.[15]

Honours and awards

Maguire was named the 2011 Victorian of the Year,[16] He was a finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in 2011 and 2016.[17][18]

Reserve Force Decoration[3]
15 Sep 1980 National Medal[19]
15 May 1986 National Medal - 1st Clasp[20]
12 Jun 1989 Member of the Order of Australia "For service to homeless youth through the Open Family Foundation".[3]
1 Jan 2001 Centenary Medal "For long service to the congregation of St Peter and Paul's Church and the local community".[21]

References

  1. ↑ "Fans rally to Father Bob Maguire". The Age. 13 September 2009.
  2. ↑ Joseph, Marion. "Father Bob Maguire to head Darebin's Australia Day celebrations". Northcote Leader.
  3. 1 2 3 "Member of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour. Australian Government. 12 June 1989.
  4. ↑ "In Bob We Trust". Apparition Entertainment Pty Ltd. October 2013. (Two-minute trailer available on youtube.)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Father Bob - The Larrikin Priest".
  6. 1 2 3 "About Fr Bob Maguire". Father Bob Maguire Foundation.
  7. ↑ "Sunday Night Safran". 16 September 2007.
  8. ↑ "Father Bob - The Larrikin Priest".
  9. ↑ "Catholic Parish of Sts Peter and Paul". Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  10. ↑ "President's Message". Father Bob Maguire Foundation.
  11. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/tv/strictlyspeaking/
  12. ↑ Anderson, Paul (2004). Dirty Dozen : Melbourne's gangland killings. Hardie Grant Books. pp. 201–202. ISBN 978-1-74066-574-2.
  13. ↑ Devic, Aleks (29 January 2012). "Crowds fill Father Bob Maguire's church for final service". Herald Sun. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  14. ↑ Groves, Don (29 July 2013). "'Patrick' and 'In Bob We Trust' wow MIFF audiences and critics". Inside Film. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "triplej's Sunday Night Safran".
  16. ↑ "Father Bob Maguire named Victorian of the Year".
  17. ↑ http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/honour-roll/?view=fullView&recipientID=469&year=2000
  18. ↑ http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/honour-roll/?view=fullView&recipientID=1306
  19. ↑ National Medal:
  20. ↑ National Medal - 1st clasp:
  21. ↑ "It's an Honour - Honours - Search Australian Honours".

External links

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