Richard Finn SMA (1912-1989), was an Irish-born

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

and a member of the

Society of African Missions The Society of African Missions (; ), also known as the SMA Fathers, is a Catholic religious society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Melchior de Marion Brésillac in 1856. They serve the people of Africa and those of ...

who served as Bishop for the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan The Archdiocese of Ibadan () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Ibadan, Nigeria. History * 13 March 1952: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Ibadan from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lagos ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

.Bishop Richard Finn
www.catholic-hierarchy.org

Life

Early life and education

Finn was born in 1912, Townalough, near Claremorris,

County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. He joined the Society of African Missions (SMA Fathers), first at St. Joseph's College in Wilton, Cork, attending lectures in

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

, before entering the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, County Galway in 1936. He graduated with a B.A. degree in Education and Philosophy in 1938 at

University College Galway The University of Galway () is a public university, public research university located in the city of Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The university was founded in 1845 as "Queen's College, Galway". It was known as "University College, Ga ...

. From 1936, he studied theology at the Society's seminary at

Dromantine House Dromantine House was a seminary of the Society of African Missions from 1926 until 1972. The estate is still owned by the Society of African Missions but currently serves as a "Retreat and Conference Centre" Over its lifetime as a seminary some 60 ...

, County Down.

Later studies and early assignments

Post-ordination in 1941, at St. Colman's Newry, he continued his studies in Wilton, Cork, completing a H.Dip in Education from

. In 1943, he was sent to Nigeria's Archdiocese of Lagos, serving until 1952, when he returned to Ireland to be rector/principal of the SMA College in

Ballinafad Ballinafad () is a village in the south of County Sligo in the west of Ireland. The village overlooks Lough Arrow, and is itself overlooked by the ruins of Ballinafad Castle. The Most Rev. Dr John Healy, Lord Archbishop of Tuam from 1903 ...

from 1952 to 1953.

Ibadan

Finn was made Prefect Apostolic of Ibadan in 1953, a church unit which was created from the Archdiocese of Lagos. In 1958 Ibadan was elevated to a diocese, with Monsignor Finn made the first Bishop of Ibadan. During the Nigerian Civil War, like many other Irish religious figures serving in Nigeria at the time, Finn expressed a pro-federalist view.The Forgotten War
by Enda Staunton, History Ireland, Issue 3 (Autumn 2000), Volume 8.

Later

Finn retired in 1974, returned to Ireland, and served in Knock, in his native County Mayo. He died on 4 January 1989 in hospital in Galway, following a short illness, and is buried in the SMA Cemetery in

Wilton, Cork Wilton is a suburb of Cork City. It is the site of Cork University Hospital, Cork's largest hospital. Other landmarks include Wilton Shopping Centre and St. Finbarr's Cemetery, which lies on the border between Wilton and Glasheen and is the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finn, Richard People from County Mayo Roman Catholic missionaries in Nigeria 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria Irish expatriate Roman Catholic bishops Irish expatriates in Nigeria Irish Roman Catholic missionaries 1912 births 1989 deaths Participants in the Second Vatican Council Alumni of University College Cork Alumni of the University of Galway Society of African Missions Burials at St. Joseph's Cemetery, Wilton, Cork