Newly Ordained Jesuit Begins Priestly Ministry in Denver
- Guest Contributor
- 28 minutes ago
- 4 min read
By Therese Meyerhoff
Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province
A Jesuit priest for just three months, Father Dan Finucane, SJ, has already come to appreciate the ministry of presence.
Father Finucane was ordained a priest on June 13, 2026, at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church in St. Louis — the same parish where he was baptized. St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski presided.
After assisting at College Church for several weeks following his ordination, Father Finucane moved to Denver in August to begin dual assignments at the Jesuit novitiate and at Regis University. He arrived at the Novitiate of St. Stanislaus Kostka just ahead of nine new novices of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province, who entered on August 15.
“They seem like a good group of guys, and they’re all doing well,” Father Finucane said of the nine first-year novices and six second-year novices.
As an assistant to the novice director, Father Finucane will provide spiritual direction, including guiding some of the novices as they complete the full 30-day Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in the fall. He also helps care for the novitiate building and handles other practical details, such as finances. But mostly, Father Finucane says, “a lot of it is presence, just accompanying guys as they begin to learn how to be a Jesuit.”
He will also be present for Regis University students and faculty. His schedule has not been formalized, but he brings enthusiasm to his role.
“Sign me up for the student Mass, for the morning Mass, for confessions, I’m ready!” he said.
“One of my favorite descriptions of what it means to become a priest after a decade or more of pastoral ministry comes from one of my brother Jesuits,” Father Finucane said. “He said for him, getting ordained was like realizing he'd been doing ministry with one arm tied behind his back, only to discover, ‘Oh, I have this other arm!’”
As a Jesuit in formation, Father Finucane spent two years working with men in the Belize Central Prison. Many saw him as a confessor, but he was unable to offer absolution. He finds joy in being able to do that for people now.
“One of the things I was most looking forward to is getting to be with people in vulnerable situations, and to be a presence that offers the compassion and mercy of God,” Father Finucane said. “I think because I've been shown mercy and compassion, it's just that much easier to offer it to others. In a confessional, I can be an instrument of God’s love.”
Father Finucane was born and raised in St. Louis. His father taught at Saint Louis University (SLU), and Father Finucane first encountered Jesuits around his parents’ dinner table while growing up. He attended St. Louis University High School and SLU, both Jesuit schools, and began to consider a vocation to the Society of Jesus while an undergraduate at SLU, where he earned degrees in theological studies and philosophy. He went on to earn a Master of Theological Studies degree from Boston College’s Clough School of Theology and Ministry.
After ten months as a lay missionary in Zambia, he returned to St. Louis and began working as a theology teacher and campus minister at St. Louis University High School. While there, he discerned a call to become a Jesuit.
Since his ordination, he has found beauty in bringing the sacraments to the faithful, including during challenging times such as anointing the sick or presiding at funerals. He enjoys working with young people and embraces the challenges.
“I’ve heard the lament about kids not being catechized or not knowing the Bible,” he said. “But I think this is a great opportunity: We get to be the first ones to present the story, to show people that God is more than just what we can touch. Yes, God comes close to us in ways that we can touch and see — the bread and the wine — but also in words of mercy.”
Father Finucane is comfortable with juggling his dual roles, especially because they both share an important aspect of ministry.
“Having spiritual conversation with others brings me joy,” he said. “This is a key element of Jesuit life, grounded in the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola. I have discovered great joy in seeing God at work in others’ lives, and sometimes I just have to marvel at it all. I am really grateful for the humble opportunity to accompany people.
“One of the graces I’ve experienced already is recognizing that my priestly vocation is so much bigger than me,” he explained. “My ordination was a celebration for people of seeing that young men are still called to serve in this way. And there's a lot of hope in this. Seeing how much it means to other people is amazing.”
If you think you might be called to life as a Jesuit, visit BeAJesuit.org.
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The Jesuits are a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded nearly 500 years ago by St. Ignatius of Loyola. With more than 14,000 priests, scholastics and brothers worldwide, they are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. Jesuits are widely known for their colleges, universities and high schools, but Jesuits also minister in retreat houses, parishes, hospitals and refugee camps. The USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province serves in 13 states, Puerto Rico and Belize and has approximately 300 men who serve as pastors, administrators, educators, spiritual and retreat directors and in other roles. Jesuits have served in this area of the United States and the Caribbean since the 16th century and have done so continually since the restoration of the Society in 1815.
