Name Thomas Finnegan | ||
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Thomas Anthony Finnegan (26 August 1925 – 25 December 2011) was the Bishop of Killala, County Mayo, Ireland from 1987 - 2002..
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Thomas Anthony Finnegan was born on 26 August 1925, in Castlerea, County Roscommon. He was educated at Runamoat National School, CBS Primary School and Summerhill College. He studied for the priesthood in Maynooth College, and was ordained priest for the diocese of Elphin in 1951, and he served as Chaplain at St Angela’s College, Sligo. He spent four years doing postgraduate studies in Education and Canon Law. In 1960 he became Junior Dean at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, and while ambitious to serve longer at the National Seminary was recalled in 1966 to become President of Summerhill College. He served 13 years as President transforming much within the College and earning a reputation as a committed, pioneering educator. http://www.catholicbishops.ie/2012/01/01/homily-bishop-john-fleming-requiem-mass-predecessor-bishop-thomas-finnegan/
In 1979 he was appointed to be Director of the Marriage Tribunal in Galway which adjudicated on annulments: at his funeral, his successor, Bisho John Fleming drew attention to this short but important period of his life " {he} was able to explore, develop and broaden the criteria for marriage annulments in line with all the developments taking place in tribunal practice at that time.
In 1982 he became parish priest of Roscommon town and Vicar General before being appointed Bishop of Killala in 1987 where he succeeded Bishop Thomas McDonnell. He was a founder member of the Council for the West along with the other west of Ireland bishops.
The Diocese of Killala has a Catholic population of 38,000 in 22 parishes, and includes portions of Counties Mayo and Sligo. In 1998 Bishop Finnegan founded the Newman Institute which offers courses in counselling, theology and spirituality. Also in 2002, Finnegan was succeeded by Monsignor John Fleming. Bishop Finnegan celebrated his Diamond Jubilee in 2011.
He died in Sligo General hospital ,on Christmas Day 2011 at the age of 86 and was buried in the grounds of Saint Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina.