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Convicted KC priest featured among notable priests from St. Louis in Catholic magazine
By Joe Holleman
The latest issue of "Catholic St. Louis" magazine carries a feature highlighting 12 local men who rose to powerful positions in the church. One of the men is Bishop Robert Finn — the former bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph who was convicted in 2012 of failing to report a priest suspected of sex abuse. The magazine feature makes no mention of his conviction. A Vatican investigation showed that Finn waited six months before telling police about the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, whose computer held lewd photos of girls taken in and near churches where he worked. Ratigan was eventually sentenced to 50 years in prison for child pornography. Finn later resigned from his position in Kansas City. The magazine is published six times a year by the Archdiocese of St. Louis. It is included in deliveries of the St. Louis Review, the archdiocese's newspaper. The feature contains small photos of the local priests and follows the same format for information: Name, highest position reached, ordination date, grade school and high school. The copy notes that Finn is a former bishop of the Kansas City diocese, ordained in 1979, and attended All Souls school in Overland and St. Louis Preparatory Seminary North. Teak Phillips, editor of the magazine and newspaper, said the situation with Finn was discussed as the story was being compiled. "To exclude him would not have been truthful," Phillips said. "We included him because he is still a bishop and he's from St. Louis." He noted that news coverage of Finn's resignation and legal troubles were covered in the St. Louis Review. "We just didn't get into the CVs of these men" for this feature. Phillips said he understood "some readers could take exception to that list," and said he has received one email of complaint. Contact: jholleman@post-dispatch.com
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