FATHER Bob Maguire says he is not a fighter, he is a brawler.
But he was punching above his weight with the mass crowd that attended his final bout.
He was given boxing gloves as a farewell present and even though he lost this battle with the Catholic Church, he was a winner in the eyes of the people who gave him a standing ovation before, during and after the service at the South Melbourne parish.
More than 1000 "comrades", as the much-loved priest calls his parishioners, attended his final mass at St Peter and Paul's today with many in tears throughout the service.
Celebrities, bikies, monks, Occupy Melbourne protesters, separated conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna were among the crowd to see him off after 39 years.
"Flat as a tack," Father Bob said, describing how humbled he was of the big turnout.
"Thank God we got through it. As long as they enjoyed themselves. I don't enjoy these things."
Father Bob spent the morning mingling with his church faithful before he was led into the church by a pipe band.
"Let's get this show started," he said.
Father Julian Messina takes over the parish next week and Father Bob urged his church-goers to give the new priest a fair go and not to boycott the church.
The church service heard from a speaker who paid tribute to the people's priest.
"Father Bob is definitely a breath of fresh air and, at times, a gale-force wind," the speaker said.
Father Bob said he was still fuming that he was not allowed to continue being the parish priest.
"We have gone away from the battleground and gone into the barracks. There we will talk among ourselves how unfair it all is," he said.
After the service he was presented with gifts, including the boxing gloves.
"I'm a brawler, not a fighter," he said.
Under Catholic Church guidelines all priests must resign at age 75, but the resignation does not have to be accepted.
Despite a public campaign to keep Father Bob, 77, at the post and his willingness to continue preaching, the church has refused to keep him on.
For Father Bob, this round is now over but not the last.
He vowed to return to the church he has served as a guest and joked he knew where to sit so the collection couldn't see him.