Robert Duncan McGregor OMI
29 June 1929 – 10 July 2010
Ordained in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1956, Robert was highly-respected throughout the Australian Oblate Province as an energetic and talented preacher, a former MAMI Director, Provincial Bursar and a deeply-committed prison chaplain in Western Australia.
Born in New South Wales, Robert completed his secondary schooling at Holy Cross in Ryde and worked for several years in the printing and advertising industry. In March 1950 he entered the Novitiate at Sorrento in Victoria and was sent to the Irish seminary at Piltown, Co. Kilkenny the following year to begin his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained on September 16, 1956 and returned to Australia the following year to join the Mission staff at Eagle Junction in Brisbane where he gave many missions and retreats throughout Queensland and New South Wales. Blessed with a magnificent speaking voice and beautiful bass baritone singing voice, he was an immediate success!
These talents, combined with his business acumen and rare talent as a fundraiser, brought him to the attention of the Provincial who was at the time planning to build a new Oblate seminary in Melbourne and Robert’s efforts directly contributed to the establishment of St Mary’s Oblate Seminary (Mulgrave,Vic). In the mid-1960s he was appointed MAMI Director and in 1969 he became Parish Priest at Immaculate Heart of Mary (Sefton, NSW). He also served
as provincial bursar, parish priest of Rosebud (Vic), assistant priest at St Michael’s North Melbourne and on the Mission and Retreat team at Eagle
Junction, Brisbane.
Based in Fremantle, Robert spent 12 years as a senior prison chaplain working at various jails throughout WA. He was highly regarded for his strong sense of justice and courage and was not afraid to stand up for prisoners against prison authorities when he felt they were being treated unjustly.
Prior to retiring in 2004, Robert had been chaplain to Mazenod College in Victoria.
Robert was a much loved and respected member of the Camberwell Oblate Community and will be sadly missed.
