With sadness we announce the death of Fr Fintan Crotty SS.CC. Fr Fintan died on 6th January in hospital in London, where he had recently been admitted.
Sympathy is extended to Fr Fintan's family and friends, the clergy and parishioners of his former parishes, as well as the priests, brothers, sisters and lay associates of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts (ss.cc.), including the ss.cc. communities at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Acton and the congregational house in Ealing Common.
Fr Fintan's requiem Mass will take place at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Acton on Thursday 21st January at 2pm. The online access details for this will be posted in due course. After repatriation on Friday 22nd, Fr Fintan’s remains will be received into the Sacred Heart Church, St Johns Drive, Sruleen, Clondalkin that evening at 6pm. This is the Church and Parish that Fr Fintan built and encouraged during his eleven years in Clondalkin. Fr Fintan’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday 23rd January at 12 noon, with interment afterwards in the Sacred Hearts Community plot in Palmerstown. Live streaming of the funeral from Sruleen can be accessed at: https://www.churchservices.tv/sruleen
Fintan Crotty was born Mullinavat, Co. Kilkenny in 1935. After Secondary School in De La Salle, Waterford he entered Novitiate in Cootehill in 1953, having been influenced by Damien the Leper and was Professed in 1954. Fintan studied Theology and Philosophy in the U.S. and was ordained in 1960. After ordination, Fr Fintan ministered in schools and provincial work for two years. Returning to Cootehill, he served as Socius and Vocations Director until 1971. From that time onwards, Fr Fintan’s main ministry was in parishes: Holy Cross in Bedford, St Augustine’s in Daventry, Sacred Heart in Sruleen, Clondalkin and Our Lady of Lourdes in Acton, London. Fr Fintan retired to the ss.cc. Community at Ealing Common, where he continued to minister in the parish when required.
Not too long before he died, Fr Fintan penned a homily for the 2nd Sunday of the Year for the Congregation of the Sacred Heart's online homily initiative, for which Sisters, Brothers and Secular Branch members write a homily for each Sunday of the liturgical year. He closes his reflection with the following words:
'The thrill of finding Jesus, as the two disciples did, is still there. It began in the streets of Bethany, but Jesus still lives and walks on our streets. We simply ask him where he lives. His reply “I live in you, I live in your neighbour. I live in the Eucharist and in the Scriptures. I can be found in the beauty of the world all around you.” The treasure of great price is all around us. Like Andrew let us find him and share him with joy and gratitude.'
The full homily can be accessed here: http://www.sacred-hearts.net/images/stories/pdf/HOMILIESsscc/1janhom21.pdf
Grant, we pray, O Lord,
that the soul of Fr Fintan, your servant and priest,
whom you honoured with sacred office
may exult forever in the glorious home of heaven.
May the soul of Fr Fintan, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.
