Bob Maguire
Encyclopedia
Robert John Thomas "Bob" Maguire AM
, RFD
(born 14 September 1934 in Thornbury, Victoria) is an Australia
n Catholic
priest
, community worker and media personality from South Melbourne
. Commonly known as "Father Bob", Maguire was awarded the Order of Australia
in 1989. In his younger days he used to be a beekeeper
, which he describes as "one of the finest periods of my life".
and Martin Luther King, Jr.
show on Melbourne
radio station
3AW
.
Maguire had a guest appearance on the SBS
television program John Safran vs God
with the Melbourne
Jewish comedian
John Safran
. He is a co-host of Sunday Night Safran on Australia
n national youth radio station Triple J
on Sunday nights. From November 2005 to January 2006, he joined Safran as co-host of Speaking in Tongues on SBS
television
.
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.
Maguire is the parish priest of the Saint Peter and Paul Parish, South Melbourne.
According to Maguire the most important funeral he has ever conducted was that of Victor Peirce
.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, RFD
Reserve Force Decoration
The Reserve Force Decoration is an Australian Military award given for long service by officers of the Reserve Forces. It is part of the suite of defence force service awards introduced in 1982, which also included the Defence Force Service Medal and the Reserve Force Medal The Reserve Force...
(born 14 September 1934 in Thornbury, Victoria) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, community worker and media personality from South Melbourne
South Melbourne, Victoria
South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...
. Commonly known as "Father Bob", Maguire was awarded the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in 1989. In his younger days he used to be a beekeeper
Beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly; pollinating fruits and vegetables; raising queens and bees for sale to other farmers; and/or for purposes satisfying natural scientific curiosity...
, which he describes as "one of the finest periods of my life".
"Bob Squad"
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 GuevaraChe Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
Media work
Maguire used to host a radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
show on Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
3AW
3AW
3AW is a talkback radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station.-History:...
.
Maguire had a guest appearance on the SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
television program John Safran vs God
John Safran vs God
John Safran vs God is an 8 part television documentary series by John Safran which was broadcast on SBS TV of Australia in 2004. It has been described in a media release as "John Safran's most audacious project yet". It had a much more serious tone than Safran's previous work Music Jamboree...
with the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Jewish comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
John Safran
John Safran
John Safran is an Australian documentary maker and radio broadcaster, known for combining humour with explorations into religion and other issues...
. He is a co-host of Sunday Night Safran on Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n national youth radio station Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
on Sunday nights. From November 2005 to January 2006, he joined Safran as co-host of Speaking in Tongues on SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
His popularity is such that he now has his own website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
and podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, in addition to the Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
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
Strictly Speaking (TV series)
Strictly Speaking is an Australian television series which began airing on 29 September 2010. The show is hosted by Andrew Hansen and is currently being aired on ABC1. After only 5 episodes, Strictly Speaking was removed from ABC's schedule after failing to attract viewers...
", which aired in late 2010. He joined other judges including Jean Kittson and host Andrew Hansen.
Community work
At age 75, Maguire remains active in community work with Open Family, which he co-founded in 1978, and as president of the 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.Maguire is the parish priest of the Saint Peter and Paul Parish, South Melbourne.
According to Maguire the most important funeral he has ever conducted was that of Victor Peirce
Victor Peirce
Victor George Peirce was an Australian criminal from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Peirce was a member of the Pettingill family, headed by matriarch and former Richmond brothel owner Kath Pettingill....
.