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In Memoriam

Jesuit Father Robert E. Finn died on Dec. 9, 2015, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, Michigan. He was 79 years old.

Fr. Finn was born on Nov. 10, 1936 in Chicago. He entered the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus on September 11, 1983 at Loyola House in Berkley, Michigan. He was ordained on June 8, 1991 at St. Ignatius Church in Chicago, and took final vows on Feb. 2, 2009 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Chicago.

Before entering the Society, Fr. Finn graduated from Loyola Academy in Chicago (1955) and earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Marquette University (1960). As a Jesuit, he studied Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago (1985-1987) and earned a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, California (1990).

From the time Fr. Finn graduated college until the time he entered the Society, he did many things. He was married and has three sons: Martin, Brendan, and Joseph. He was a newspaper reporter, worked in radio/TV news and film production, and was involved in printing, photography, public relations, speech writing, and word processing. As a Jesuit, Fr. Finn spent much of his time in pastoral ministries. He was the associate pastor of St. Ignatius Church in Chicago (1991-1992), chaplain at Cook County Hospital (1992-1994 and 1998-2015), and a sacramental minister at St. Fidelis in Chicago (1995). Fr. Finn also worked in publications and press relations in the Chicago Provincial Office (1995-1997).

While working at Cook County Hospital, Fr. Finn also spent many years educating adults in self-assistance program for the working poor at the Midwest Workers Association in Chicago (1997-2015). Fr. Finn moved to Colombiere in 2015 to care for his health.