The Postie and The Priest

Ron Burrows has lived in Sunshine for most of his life.He is happily married to Shirley and they have two grown up children, Geoffrey and Penny. They have four grandchildren: three girls and one boy. Ron worked as a postie at the South Melbourne Delivery Centre, where he delivered mail to Father Bob for nineteen years. He intends to continue writing in his spare time.

A priest, a postie, a parish, a suburb, a city, a diocese, an unusual and deep friendship, a struggle to get a book published... The Postie and the Priest is part biography, part philosophy, part social commentary, part theological reflection.Here is a fly-on-the-wall account of the daily life of an iconic Melbourne priest who has a deep passion for the battlers of his city, written by his postman who began by delivering his letters and ended up recording his life story. The stories from Fr Bob Maguire's life recall family events, life in the seminary, time as an army chaplain, work in various parishes, media connections and above all, his passion for the organisations he founded - Open Family and the Fr Bob Maguire Foundation - that give voice to his concern for the underprivileged and the homeless of Melbourne.The postie admires the priest and tells his story but this is as much the postie's story, giving us a unique insight into the history, characters and streets of South Melbourne that have shaped the lives of both men.