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News Archives » Fr. Séamus P. Finn OMI


Sharing Wisdom: Inspiring Fireside Chat with Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI & Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) Elders April 7th, 2025

Keep the Fire Going
(By Matthew Illian, Director of Responsible Investing, United Church Funds)

 
As we gathered at the Interfaith Center “God Box” for February’s Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility’s (ICCR) conference, many of us carried a troubled spirit. You didn’t hear any lamenting, but you could sense our weariness in the way we greeted one another. Whether with words, a smile, or a hug, our interactions were more heartfelt than usual. We weren’t just saying hello; we also came seeking something – perhaps reassurance.
 
We were two months into rapid-fire Executive Orders from the Trump Administration, and many were witnessing their efforts to uphold a more just and equitable society being dismantled nearly overnight. In planning this conference, we determined that it was essential to turn to the elders of the ICCR community. We were eager to know how they kept the fire going through distressing times. How had they persevered through the ups and downs of political regime changes?
 
The session was dubbed a “Fireside Chat with ICCR Elders”. As it began, Sister Barbara Aires, Steven Heim, Fr Séamus Finn, OMI and Bill Somplatsky-Jarman (SJ), who had collectively served the ICCR community for over 140 years, started sharing their stories.
 
One of the recurring themes was about the power of persistence. Both Steven and Sister Barbara shared stories of their unwavering determination, such as calling corporate offices on a daily or weekly basis.
 
READ FULL ARTICLE: https://www.iccr.org/keep-the-fire-going/
 
WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3R0BuyT
 
 

Fr. Séamus P. Finn on the Evolution of Catholic Investing February 9th, 2017

Fr. Séamus P. Finn, OMI, spoke to participants at the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota, February 8,th 2017

A summary

The three core elements for Catholic Investment that were presented by the US Catholic bishops in 1986 and reinforced by the investment guidelines that were adopted for the management of the financial assets of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops were;

1) Do not invest in companies, products or services that counter to Catholic moral teaching.

2) Exercise responsible active ownership of shares that the USCCB has in the portfolio through a process of engagement with the directors and managers of these institutions.

3) Proactively investing in funds and projects that are designed to promote the common good and sustainable development that in some cases offer a lower rate of return.

Fr Séamus Finn, OMI with Mike Ricci, CCF Director of Professional Outreach & Investment

The good news is that much has been achieved in the first of these categories, also known as negative screens, when excluding investments in specific companies and or industries. Now the work of applying these same screens across all assets classes in a portfolio needs to be accelerated.

Secondly, little has been done to take up the work of active engagement and this responsibility for active advocacy and dialogue is more important now than ever given the growing influence of corporations and large investment funds on nearly every aspect of life. Some catholic religious orders and institutions have done the bulk of this work through organizations like the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, www.iccr.org.

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