With great sadness, we announce the passing of one of our beloved priests, Fr. Kevin Finnegan.
Reverend Kevin Hugh Finnegan was born July 22, 1946 in Burlington, Iowa “to a middle class, Midwestern, Irish-American family”, the sixth of seven children to parents Hugh Thomas Finnegan and Elizabeth Riley. His siblings are Michael (deceased), Patricia, Julie, Molly, Elizabeth and Shannon.
Father passed from this earthly life on May 14, 2025, surrounded by his family.
Father Kevin often divided his life into “before and after” an accident he suffered on March 10, 1973, when he received a spinal cord injury from a diving accident which left him permanently, in his words, “disabled but able”.
He first felt the call to priesthood a few times during his childhood and teen years, but described his relationship with God at that point as similar to the one depicted in the poem The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson. Instead, he entered the Army at the age of 21, earning two expert rifle badges in his years of service.
But during the year following his accident, Father Kevin knew his life “lay somewhere in the service of the Church”.
He looked at a few monasteries and even entered the Augustinians, where he made a simple profession. However, he discerned God was calling him to a diocesan priesthood where he could serve the poor. The Augustinians were sad to see him go.
While searching for a diocese who would accept him, he volunteered at a pro-life pregnancy clinic. It was during this time that he heard about the Diocese of Gallup and applied to be a diocesan priest. After completing his studies at St. Joseph in Dunwoodie Seminary in New York, he was ordained by the Most Reverend Donald E. Pelotte at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup, NM on June 9, 1990.
His service in the Diocese included ministering at St. Mary of the Angels, Pinetop, AZ; St. Joseph, Winslow; St. Paul, Crownpoint, Risen Savior, Bluewater; St. Anthony, Zuni; and St. John Vianney, Gallup.
His many appointments include serving in the Diocesan tribunal as a Canon Lawyer, a Judicial Vicar, the Promoter of Justice, a Vicar Forane of McKinley County, a Chancellor, Vicar General, and as a member of the College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council and Priests’ Personnel Board.
In 2021, after his full retirement from his pastorship and all diocesan appointments, he moved to Jennings, Louisiana to be near his beloved sisters and family, living in a Veterans Home.
He had a great devotion to many saints, including St. Mary Magdalene (whose feast is on his birthday), and the archangel Saint Raphael, to whom he developed a prayer. In this prayer are the words, “I surrender myself, all my worries, sorrow, fears and doubts in your mighty hands. I rest under your care. Help me to give thanks to God for sharing in the suffering of Christ”.
In the liturgy ceremonial booklet he made for his ordination day, he expressed his deep appreciation and sincere gratitude especially to his family, but also his friends and classmates for being with him “in good times and the bad, for unflagging support and friendship in helping him answer the call to the priesthood”. He also wrote and asked that all “would pray for him that he become a gentle, compassionate, loving and understanding man, who is a priest of Jesus Christ. His prayer in return was “That all of us go from here to heaven”.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord.