BEFORE he was Pope Leo XIV, Father Robert Prevost visited a rural Australian town two decades ago.
At the time, Fr Prevost was the Prior General of the Order of St Augustine, and part of his role was to visit missions.
He spent a night at the priory in Mareeba, a town in Far North Queensland.
Former Mareeba parish priest, now semi-retired Fr Robert Greenup, recalled driving Fr Prevost from the airport in Cairns on December 6, 2005.
Fr Prevost was “a very unassuming, unpretentious, and easy fellow to get along with”.
He was treated to music, dinner and the company of parishioners at the Spanish Club by the Augustinian parishes of Mareeba and Dimbulah.
“Jokingly I said to a few people at that time in 2005 that we’re both just Fr Robert,” Fr Greenup said.
“Well, I’m still Fr Robert, and he’s now Pope Leo.”
Memory lane: Fr Robert Prevost and Fr Robert Greenup in Mareeba. Photo: Supplied
Fr Greenup was part of the St Thomas of Villanova Mareeba Parish for 30 years and now lives just outside it.
He says daily Mass in a little church and continues to help in the Diocese of Cairns.
“I’m no longer the parish priest there, but he’s the first Pope in the 2000-year history of the Church that’s ever heard of Mareeba, let alone been there and enjoyed his time,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful thing that he was in Mareeba, and a wonderful thing for the parish.”
He said Fr Prevost’s Augustinian character would be strong in his papacy.
“I think the Augustinians are a fully egalitarian mob, he wasn’t standing above anybody, he was just another Augustinian priest at that time,” he said.
Remembering the night 20 years ago, Fr Greenup said that the start of the meal was marked by a local Aboriginal man playing the didgeridoo.
Between the avocados, prawns, fillet mignon and tropical fruits, Fr Prevost was happy to engage with everybody.
“I think he enjoyed the company; one of the reasons he enjoyed that night so much was that they were just a group of ordinary country folk,” he said.
“He spoke to people individually.”
Fr Greenup said recently before the conclave, when Cardinal Prevost found out that Joe Caddy was now the Bishop of Cairns, he spoke of the wonderful memories of the night.
“That’s what the Bishop has told me, that he had wonderful memories of the night he had in Mareeba,” he said,
Everyone enjoyed themselves that night, he said.
Among the attendees was Ralph Madigan, a local Aboriginal man from the Muluridji People who is now deacon in the Church.
He was seated right next to Fr Prevost.
Fr Greenup and Deacon Madigan have worked together for more than 14 years with Aboriginal people in the Diocese of Cairns.
“He was a very nice man, a very quiet man. I never ever thought that he was going to be Pope,” Deacon Madigan said.
Visiting general: L-R Fr Robert Prevost, late Arthur Collins, Marty Bong and Deacon Ralph Madigan. Photo: Supplied
He was friendly to everybody and laughing.
It was great that Fr Prevost was part of the group in Mareeba, he said, adding that he also engaged with two of his Indigenous friends.
“All my Catholic life I’ve always been with the Augustinians. It’s only since I’ve become a deacon that I’m in the diocese. But before that, it was always the Augustinians,” Deacon Madigan said.
“The Augustinians, they’re a great bunch of people and they bring a lot of spirituality into the church.
“So, I hope the new Pope will spread that spirituality around.”
Margaret Harvey was sitting next to Fr Prevost.
“It’s marvellous… such a blessing for me, in my lifetime, that I should sit right beside a person who is going to be Pope,” Mrs Harvey said.
The moment she found out he was going to be the Pope, she shared a “little smile” with her late husband, who had died a few months before, who was also at the dinner table by her side.
“I was so excited that I couldn’t believe it, that we should have that very man who has become the Pope, in Mareeba with us, and we were entertaining him,” she said.
“It was a lovely night, and I think he sat there and just with a lovely, serene smile on his face and enjoyed every moment of it.”
Augustinian meeting: L-R Fr Robert Greenup, Deacon Ralph Madigan, Fr Robert Prevost and late Arthur Collins. Photo: Supplied
She said the conversation with Fr Prevost was casual and warm when he asked about the people of Mareeba.
“He was just so interested in Mareeba and enjoyed the company of the parishioners; they just gave him sing-a-longs like Waltzing Matilda and Italian and Spanish songs,” she said.
“I’m sure he will be like that” as Pope, she said.
“He’ll be very sympathetic to the world.”