SR0431 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0431 LRB096 15008 GRL 29948 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Father Aengus Finucane, who passed away on October 6, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Father Aengus Finucane was a native of County Limerick, Ireland; at a young age, he devoted his life to the Finucane family tradition of public service; and

WHEREAS, Father Aengus Finucane was known throughout the world for his philanthropic service; he began his lifetime of service as a young missionary with the Holy Ghost Fathers as the Parish Priest in Uli, Nigeria; during his tenure in Uli, he found himself in the midst of the bitter civil war between Nigeria and Biafra in 1968; during his time there, he literally came face to face with famine, with starving men, women, and children at his doorstep; Aengus and his brother, Father Jack Finucane, along with their colleagues from all faiths, knew that they had to act immediately and do what they could to alleviate the suffering in Biafra; and

WHEREAS, In response to the humanitarian crisis in Biafra, Father Aengus Finucane and his brother turned schools into refugee camps and set up food distribution centers and emergency hospitals; at the height of the crisis in the summer of 1968, an estimated 6,000 children were dying every week due to lack of food and medicine; to aid in their efforts, Aengus and his brother turned to their home country to raise awareness of the seriousness of the famine; the response from the people of Ireland was extraordinary, with relief supplies flown in from Ireland every night on the Uli parish’s newly expanded emergency airstrip; thanks to the efforts of Aengus and his brother, hundreds of thousands of refugees caught in the conflict were given critical aid in their times of need; and

WHEREAS, As a result of Father Aengus Finucane's intervention in the Biafra war zone, the humanitarian organization, Concern Worldwide was born; for the next 30 years, Aengus worked among and fought for the poorest of the poor in conflict zones, disasters, and famines; he lived in and traveled to the world’s poorest countries, including Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Uganda, and Rwanda, where he witnessed the horrors of the Rwandan civil war firsthand; and

WHEREAS, In 1981, Father Aengus Finucane became Chief Executive of Concern Worldwide; he held the post until 1997, when he came to the United States to set up Concern Worldwide US; he then served as Honorary President of Concern Worldwide US until his passing; during his tenure at Concern Worldwide US, he worked alongside Executive Director Siobhan Walsh and Chairman Tom Moran to build the organization from a small team of 4 to an organized group of 25 that raises millions of dollars to support Concern's work in the field; and

WHEREAS, Father Aengus Finucane will be remembered fondly by countless people in Ireland, the U.S., and the many places around the world that benefited from his generosity and compassion; his work with Concern saved innumerable lives and improved the quality of life for millions of people; his message of unity and caring make him a role model for the people of the State of Illinois, the citizens of our nation, and the world at large; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Father Aengus Finucane; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Father Aengus Finucane as an expression of our sympathy.