ED AND MIKE IN DOUBLE ACT
David Nankervis
(Sunday Mail)
ADELAIDE: 21st Feb -- A quirky coincidence has brought Eddie Murphy and Michael Jackson to Adelaide's western suburb, Brooklyn Park. The famous names don't belong to the award-winning Hollywood actor or the pop star, but to two priests of the Roman Catholic Salesian order, Father Eddie Murphy and Father Michael Jackson.
The odd couple become working partners last month when Father Murphy joined the Brooklyn Park parish as senior priest, where Father Jackson serves as assistant parish priest. The Salesian Order devotes itself to working with young people and both priests spend time at Brooklyn Park's John Bosco parish School where they hold Mass.
While they do get a ribbing from the students, the famous name combination is a blessing in disguise, being a great ice-breaker. "It certainly is a funny coincidence" Father Jackson, 61, says. "I had never heard of the American comedian before seeing one of his films recently....the combination of two fmaous names is a bonus, not a liability".
And working with another famous name doesn't faze Father Murphy, 51. "Before I came to Adelaide I worked in a Sydney parish where parishioners included a Jane Fonda, John Lennon, George Burns and Mickey Rooney," he laughed. "Naturally they were ordinary folk and not the well known stars".
