News Archives » Fr. Seamus Finn
Oblate Ecological Efforts Praised by Illinois Nature Preserves Commission January 18th, 2024
Thanks to Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI and Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Ctr.
EDITOR‘S NOTE: Fr Séamus Finn, Director of OMIUSA JPIC and OIP, shared an email from Ms. Debbie Newman of the Illinois Dept of Natural Resources praising the Oblate efforts in forest preservation around Godfrey, IL and the work of noted cave explorer and mapper, Fr. Paul Wightman, OMI. Fr. Finn’s enthusiastic introduction is just below, followed by Ms Newman’s email with links to various publications from the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources.
Originally published at OMIUSA.ORG
Thanks to Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI and Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Ctr.
EDITOR‘S NOTE: Fr Séamus Finn, Director of OMIUSA JPIC and OIP, shared an email from Ms. Debbie Newman, a Natural Areas Preservation Specialist with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, praising the Oblate efforts in forest preservation around Godfrey, IL and the work of noted cave explorer and mapper, Fr. Paul Wightman, OMI. Fr. Finn’s enthusiastic introduction is just below, followed by Ms Newman’s email with links to various publications from the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission.
Thanks to Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI and Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Ctr.
EDITOR‘S NOTE: Fr Séamus Finn, Director of OMIUSA JPIC and OIP, shared an email from Ms. Debbie Newman of the Illinois Dept of Natural Resources praising the Oblate efforts in forest preservation around Godfrey, IL and the work of noted cave explorer and mapper, Fr. Paul Wightman, OMI. Fr. Finn’s enthusiastic introduction is just below, followed by Ms Newman’s email with links to various publications from the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources.
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From Fr. Séamus P. Finn, OMI:
“What a terrific story that OMI USP through our property in Godfrey has been a part of for nearly 30 years. This story that needs to be told, replicated and celebrated.
Brings to mind the talk that Pope Francis delivered on Thursday to a group of visiting priests this week.
Pope to secular missionary priests: ‘Be in the world, for the world “
… Pope Francis began by underlining “the value of secularity in the life and ministry of priests.” “Secularity (secolarità),” he stressed, “is not synonymous with secularism (laicità)…
Secularity, he said, is rather “a dimension of the Church,” having to do with its mission to “serve and bear witness to the Kingdom of God in this world.‘
Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND
Special thanks to Sr Maxine Pohlman SSND who keeps this relationship alive for all of us.
The email clearly lays out the value of the Missionary Oblates Woods Nature Preserve in the big picture and the work we do there. It brings to mind the foresight and guiding hand of (the late) Fr. Bob Moosbrugger, OMI, who was integral to this project in the beginning. Enjoy! “
- Fr. Séamus P. Finn, OMI, Director, OMIUSA JPIC, OIP
Read the full article @OMIUSA.ORG
From Ms. Debbie S. Newman
Greetings Landowners, Partners and Volunteers!
Happy New Year to each and every one of you! I hope you had a good holiday season. I hope 2024 will be a great year for you.
Working with volunteers in the preserve are: Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, (far right) and next to her is Natural Area Preservation Specialist, for the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources, and author of the email below, Debbie S, Newman.
Read the full article @OMIUSA.ORG
Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI Offers Peace Prayer at Interfaith Gathering June 23rd, 2022
Out of shared concern for the trauma and sorrow wrought by war, Religions for Peace and UNIAPAC came together to promote multireligious collaboration in service of humanity, hosting an Interfaith Prayer for World Peace on Tuesday, June 22. Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI, invited to offer a prayer of intercession, prayed the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
In the face of violent conflict and self-serving avarice, Religions for Peace and UNIAPAC are advocating for an alternative paradigm, human fraternity. They recognize that all are called to protect our brothers and sisters in humanity, irrespective of our differences in faith, and work together to cultivate peace and shared flourishment through dialogue and cooperation.
As people around the globe suffer from wars, deprivation and ecological precarity, they are calling on faith leaders of the world’s religious and spiritual communities to come together to pray for peace.
The International Christian Union of Business Executives or UNIAPAC is an ecumenical organization for Christian businesspeople.
Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI Interviewed by Berkley Center, Georgetown University June 20th, 2022
Background: Investment policies and priorities for faith communities have come to the fore in recent years, working alongside wider socially 
responsible investment policies and involving active efforts to shape directions for private sector impact. Fr. Séamus has played active roles in initiatives within his order (Oblates of Mary Immaculate), the Catholic Church, and faith communities broadly. He spoke to a group of Georgetown University students and other colleagues on April 27, presenting his work and exploring underlying issues related to investment policies and action to shape them.
Fr. Séamus brings a long history of active efforts to shape faith consistent investment policies and practice. As director of the Oblates’ United States Province Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, he coordinates their advocacy work on behalf of marginalized peoples and communities living in poverty; the priorities are “accompanying those in need” and “being present where decisions affecting the lives and the futures of the poor are made”, in both the public arena and the private sector.
He served as chair of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility’s board of directors for 5 years and is the Director of Faith Consistent Investing for the Oblate International Pastoral Investment Trust. The latter includes an active shareholder investment program both for the U.S. province and for the congregation, and a presence at different legislative arenas and at international institutions like the World Bank, IMF and the UN. He serves on the boards of several organizations focused on justice priorities in the public policy arena.
Read the full interview: https://bit.ly/3O9TzHp
Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI Interviewed by Law360 on SEC Support of Amazon Investors April 8th, 2022
SEC Backs Amazon Holders On Global Tax Transparency Vote
A Roman Catholic priest told Law360 on Wednesday that he won the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval for a vote among fellow Amazon.com shareholders on his global tax transparency proposal, bypassing the company’s request to block his measure.
The Rev. Séamus Finn told Law360 that his proposal for a shareholder vote will be included in materials at the corporation’s annual meeting in May, when a landmark vote will take place on whether to force Amazon to publicly disclose tax payments in each country of operation. Finn works on policy and investments for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate — a 200-year-old congregation based in Aix-en-Provence, France — whose attorney Con Hitchcock said the SEC’s denial of Amazon’s no-action request is a watershed moment in tax transparency.
20th Anniversary of 9/11: Oblates Participate in Interfaith Prayer Service September 14th, 2021
Oblate Frs. Séamus Finn & Jim Brobst Participate in Local 9/11 Interfaith Prayer Service
USP JPIC participated in the PAX Christi co-sponsored interfaith prayer service at the Church of the Brethren in Washington, DC on September 11th. Frs. Jim Brobst, OMI & Séamus Finn, OMI represented the JPIC office, which has been a member of Pax Christi USA for many years.
The opening statement was delivered by Scott Wright and Jean Stokan, both former Pax Christi USA National Council members.
Opening statement:
Many of you were in New York City on 9/11; in the months and years that followed, some of you traveled to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo.
In the days immediately following 9/11, my family and our three-year-old daughter took the train to New York City. We spent the entire day accompanying family members of the victims in Washington Square and Union Square. Everywhere you could see little altars, with vigil lights, flowers, pictures of loved ones, and messages scribbled on poster board: “Have you seen my father? My brother? My daughter?” They were on the 71st floor, the 32nd floor, and wearing this or that…
As people of many faiths, and people of good will and compassionate hearts, we share a common hope for Peace, Salaam, Shalom. May we do everything in our power to protect human life, welcome refugees, challenge militarism across the globe, and recommit ourselves to nonviolence, knowing that violence and war are always a defeat for humanity.
In the days immediately following 9/11, Rep. Barbara Lee cast the only vote in Congress against going to war in Afghanistan. Pivotal to her decision was attending a memorial service where a clergy member said: “As we act, let us not become the evil that we deplore.”
Photos from the service are located at this Flicker Site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13182639@N02/albums/72157719868156715
