Shamrock to close after four decades

AFTER 39 years of bringing hope and help to the destitute and disadvantaged, the doors of Crossley’s community refuge, Shamrock House, are set to close.Ill health has forced 85-year-old Father John Murphy to retire, leaving no one to continue running the centre he founded.The centre has been a holiday place for families in need and provided shelter and support for people dealing with drug and alcohol-related problems.It is home to about 10 long-term residents who will need to find new accommodation by the end of the month.This week Shamrock House has been home to 25 Polish boys and girls from St Ignatius Church in Richmond,But when the group leaves this afternoon, Father Murphy will say goodbye to the last group ever to stay under his care. “I’m very sorry, mainly for the people,” Father Murphy said of the closure.“The community has really supported us in the 40 years.”Father Murphy said he was hopeful a community or church group would take over the house and continue to provide support for the most vulnerable people in society, but no firm offers had been made.A mass will be held in Koroit tonight to celebrate the contribution Father Murphy has made to the community.The reluctant retiree said he hoped to be able to continue working with disadvantaged people in some way for the rest of his days.“People say ‘why don’t you retire?’ but what do you do when you retire if you are a priest?,” he said.“I have no interest in doing anything else. “I don’t want to sit around doing nothing.”Shamrock House has helped thousands of people in need in the past four decades and has been run solely by volunteers using donations of food, money and material from the community.Many of the volunteers are people who have been helped by Father Murphy and stay on to assist with his work.One of those people is Paula Page. Father Murphy helped her get her life back on track and for the past 13 years she has stood beside him as manager of the house.“It’s going to be very sad to leave this place. It’s done a wonderful job in 39 years, helping the homeless, the unwanted and unloved,” Ms Page said.“It’s sad that we are leaving and won’t be able to help the homeless and people in difficulty.”Father Murphy is part of the Salesian of Don Bosco, an international organisation of Catholic priests and brothers dedicated to the service of the young, especially the disadvantaged and marginalised.He moved to the south-west in the 1970s after spending years teaching and working with youth in Victoria and overseas. He believed the area would be suitable for him to continue with his work by establishing a holiday camp for needy families.Father Murphy bought what was then called the Tower Hill Hotel, formerly the Shamrock Hotel but was re-named after the original Tower Hill Hotel burnt down. Though passionate about helping troubled young people, Father Murphy said as different social needs arose in the community, the services the house provided changed to suit those seeking help.Father Murphy said a number of people who visited or stayed at the house were unemployed and dealing with drug or alcohol addiction but, regardless of their problems, he was always there to help.“Most have things that are eating them up and they’ve never had a chance to talk to anyone,” he said.“Some of them have quite serious problems, physically and mentally, so we try to make it a real family atmosphere.“We’re always around and include them by giving them little jobs to do to help out around the place.”The mass for Father Murphy will be held at the Catholic Church of the Infant Jesus on Queen Street from 7.30pm tonight.