278 sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



of that place. His education was commenced at St. Ciithbert's 

 College, Ushaw, and he finished his theological studies at the 

 Gregorian University, Rome. In August, 1900, he was ordained 

 priest at the Cathedral, Middlesborough, by the Rt. Rev. Dr. 

 Lacy, the first and present bishop of that busy centre, who 

 speaks in terms of high appreciation of Father Finn, his 

 preaching and his work. 



In a letter I received not long ago from Father Lacy, Bishop 

 of Middlesborough, whom I have known since I was a child, he 

 says, " In private life Father Finn was very genial and had a 

 keen sense of humour. I took him to Rome with me in 1909 

 and I noticed he very soon made friends with his fellow- 

 travellers. On board ship he was quite the life of the company 

 he fell in with. As he had studied for a time in Rome he 

 enjoyed his second visit to the Eternal City very much." 



Father Finn spoke of his four or five years in Middlesborough 

 as a happy time. He certainly found there a large field for his 

 work, the population being ninety-one thousand souls, com- 

 posed of many nationalities working in the shipyards, steel and 

 iron-works, salt and soda-works, as well as other industries. 

 As usual among such crowds of toilers, there were times of 

 discontent resulting in strikes, which are apt to end in defiance 

 of law and order, but Father Finn's influence had a certain 

 amount of restraining effect during moral and social upheavals. 

 One of the reasons of his influence and popularity was his 

 broadmindedness, a characteristic not usually very marked in 

 Catholics. 



After leaving Middlesborough he was a year at Whitby and 

 four at Thirsk, then went as chaplain to Colonel Langdale, of 

 Houghton Hall, where he remained until war was declared and 

 he volunteered for the post of army chaplain. The Bishop 

 reluctantly gave his consent. 



Father Finn was of a temperament easily depressed and 

 equally easily excited, and at times he doubted whether he had 

 not made a mistake in taking this step. He was never very 

 robust, and those who cared for him were anxious lest he should 

 be unequal to the strain. All his life he had been of a studious 

 nature, but fond of games and sport, being captain of his school. 

 He spoke French and Italian fluently, and was well versed in 

 Latin and Gaelic, fond and proud of his good classical library. 



