Fr Robert “Bob” John Thomas Maguire, priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, passed away on Wednesday 19 April at Melbourne’s Cabrini Hospital, aged 88 years.
Fr Maguire entered the seminary at Werribee in 1953 and was ordained in 1960 at the age of 25.
He served as parish priest of Sts Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church South Melbourne for four decades, and was well known for his “larrikin” temperament, charitable works, love for the poor and marginalised, and willingness to challenge with church and secular authorities.
He won widespread notoriety through his TV and radio appearances, often alongside journalist and comedian John Safran. In recent years he amassed a large following on Twitter.
The Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, said it saddened him to hear of the news of Fr Maguire’s passing.
“Bob has been a faithful priest of the Catholic Church in Melbourne since his Ordination in 1960, and a fierce friend of the downhearted, the broken and the lost throughout his whole life,” Archbishop Comensoli said in a statement.
“Without a doubt, he was the ‘larrikin priest,’ who had a great love for Jesus—who also lived with the outcast and the unloved.
“Recent months have been a struggle for Bob in both health and relationships. We pray that he is now at peace with his Saviour and Lord.
“In faith, we now entrust Bob to eternal life. May he be welcomed to the Heavenly feast.”
Vale, Bob Maguire. Friend of Jesus. Friend to the poor and downtrodden. A (happy) priest for 62 years. A ‘tour de force’ in Melbourne. A larrikin among the people. May the angels greet him, and the Lord embrace him at the eternal feast. pic.twitter.com/wWTj4E61Ua
— Archbishop Peter A Comensoli (@BishopComensoli) April 19, 2023
In a statement posted on the Fr Bob Maguire Foundation website, members of his family said he “will be sorely missed for his energy and good humour.”
“His physical and mental health had been deteriorating for some time but his preference was always to help others rather than consider his own situation,” the statement read.
“Fr Bob was not just a much loved family member but was loved by all Australians for what he stood for.
“He has fought bravely for the underprivileged and homeless all his life. He represented the highest of principles, and he fought to actively live those principles.
“Despite his high profile in the media, he was always on the job, especially for the disadvantaged families and individuals for whom he had great love and compassion.
“He wanted nobody to be left behind and always saw and believed in the good in people, but he knew that there were many whom he referred to as the unloved and unlovely. These were his real passion.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns also paid tribute to Fr Maguire on Twitter, calling him a national hero and “social justice warrior.”
Our nation has just lost a hero.
The people's priest.
A social justice warrior.
And a man who dedicated his life to faith and standing up for those most vulnerable.
Vale Father Bob Maguire. pic.twitter.com/85v02MeJJI
— Chris Minns (@ChrisMinnsMP) April 19, 2023
Reproduced with permission from The Catholic Weekly, the news publication of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.