Fr Bob Curmi celebrates 70 years of priesthood rooted in prayer and service

By Heather Excell

Salesian priest Fr Robert “Bob” Curmi celebrated the 70th anniversary of his ordination on 1 July, marking seven decades of priestly ministry shaped by a profound love of God, a deep devotion to Our Lady, and faithful service to generations of young people.

Born in Sliema, Malta, on 21 December 1927, Bob was the second of thirteen children raised in a deeply Catholic family. His vocation was first nurtured by his grandmother, who often encouraged him to consider a vocation with the Salesians.

As a young man, Bob was drawn to the work of the Salesian community. He would regularly visit their local boarding school to meet with his spiritual director, Fr Mizzi.

Under the advice of Fr Mizzi, he travelled to England as a teenager to study English. From there, he travelled to Australia with a friend for what was intended to be a holiday, soon deciding to stay and begin his formation with the Salesians at Sunbury, Victoria.

Brother Bob, as he was known then, came to Tasmania for the first time in 1950 to teach at the newly opened Boys’ Town in Glenorchy, where Dominic College now stands.

After three years in Tasmania, he was sent to Turin, Italy, to complete his seminary studies. On 1 July 1956, Br Bob was ordained a priest at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, the church constructed by St John Bosco and regarded as the spiritual home of the Salesians.

His ordination took place alongside fellow Australian, Peter Lock, with whom Fr Bob formed a lifelong friendship. The pair returned to Australia and where they helped establish Salesian College Chadstone as members of its founding staff.

Over the following decades, Fr Bob taught in Salesian schools across Australia, before returning permanently to Tasmania in 1985. He became a much-loved figure at Dominic College, both in his teaching and in his care for the students. 

Fr John Murphy SDB, Superior of the Salesian community in Tasmania, first met Fr Bob at Salesian College Chadstone in 1959, where Fr Bob taught him science and art.

“He’s a gentle man, very willing to be a help in any way,” Fr John said. “It wasn’t just teaching and then disappearing. He took us on outings, took us swimming, taught gymnastics and organised prayer groups. He was very involved in the lives of the young people.”

Despite his many roles as teacher, mentor and spiritual director, Fr Bob says the Eucharist has always remained at the heart of his priesthood.

“Celebrating Mass is the highlight of each day,” he said.

For many years, Fr Bob celebrated Mass daily, often at side altars before beginning his teaching duties. Reflecting on those countless celebrations of the Eucharist, he remembers a profound sense of God’s presence.

“I was always feeling, as soon as I said the words of consecration, that God was really, very close to me,” he said.

Prayer has remained the foundation of his priesthood. Fr Bob continues to pray the Divine Office and the Rosary every day, a devotion that began in his childhood home in Malta.

“He’s very Marian-focused, and very missionary,” Fr John said. “I think that’s part of his Maltese background. He has always had a great devotion to Our Lady.”

That devotion remains evident today, with rosary beads never far from reach.

Now aged 98 and residing at Southern Cross Care in South Hobart, Fr Bob is remembered as a gentle, kind-hearted man who has always been involved in the lives of those around him.