Daniel Finn was in his late teens when he moved to the United States with his parents and brothers and sisters. He had no idea what he was going to do after high school. North Billerica High School had seemed “as strange a venue [to] him as the bar scene in Star Wars.” His immigrant experience ended up greatly shaping his career as a pastor and chaplain.
“War, harsh economic conditions, persecution — all these and more drive people to these shores to make a better life for their families, and like the Irish and every other group that came before, today’s immigrants want that, and they want to work hard for that,” he said. “I’ve always found that so many immigrants use great faith to battle great hardships. I understand that.”
For more than two decades, Finn served as pastor at Saint Mark Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He was also pastor at Saint Ambrose Church for five years. In 1987, he cofounded the Irish Pastoral Centre (IPC) in Dorchester, where he is known for helping immigrants from every corner of the world, assisting them with health care, housing, employment, and immigration issues. Under Finn’s leadership, IPC’s community and outreach services have expanded, including such initiatives such as a youth summer program, faith-sharing groups, a food pantry, and English and citizenship classes.
In 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services honored Finn with an Outstanding Americans by Choice award.
