A Dominican priest most likely long forgotten

Today is the anniversary of the death of Dominican priest Peter Finnegan. Peter died in 2002. At the time of his death he was a member of the community in St Saviour's, Dorset Street but was residing in a nursing home outside Dublin.

Peter was born in Newry. He was small in stature. Always wore his black clerical clothes. In the 1970s and '80s he deputised for Fr Lambert Greenan, working on the English edition of the Osservatore Romano.

His 'canonical mind' forbade him to appear in public without his roman collar. He occasionally dined out in Rome and his fellow Dominicans suggested he leave his roman collar at home. Peter refused.

He insisted on keeping the 'rule' but he came up with a plan; he wore his roman collar but then donned a polo neck pullover over it so that it could not be seen. He was attired correctly, wearing his clerical clothing.

I got to know Peter in Rome and then later in St Saviour's, where we became friends.

Peter was an ultra conservative and yet it came to pass that every time I 'preached' or said a single word at Mass, no matter how zany, he would compliment me. He'd always say to me: 'great sermon Michael'.

I often wondered had I denied the existence of God what he might say.

It's nice to have time for our friends.

And most likely,  he's now long forgotten.