Brothers who have gone before us . . .

    Our brother, Philip Fink, OFM Cap., went to the Lord on April 11, 2015, at St. Augustine Friary in Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh), PA, at the age of 65. To say he was gone "too soon" would sound like a cliché. His enormous contributions to our Province's history were to excede those of many other friars granted more years of life.

    Phil was a driven, tireless worker. A photo taken during his time as Novice Director can serve as a fitting icon of his life's philosophy. Phil, with head face-down and wearing his habit, is lugging two large, empty garbage containers up the driveway on each arm. There is no known narrative. The trash cans had been sitting on the road at the bottom of the hill and emptied by the collectors early in the morning. One would assume that the Guardian and Director could have directed a novice to return the emptied containers to their position near the house. Perhaps others had been assigned. No novice, however, took the initiative to go down the hill and put them back where they belonged. Phil saw them empty. Concentrated on the task at hand, and despite the weight of the load, he did it himself, darn it. Somebody had to do it. Phil was always the Somebody.

    Dedication and persistence were qualities which would characterize Phil Fink throughout his life as a student, as a friar priest and as an administrator. If there was something to be done, a difficult task that others would avoid, Phil was the one to ask. His years in formation work and, in a particular way, as Director of Novices and Provincial Minister, were marked by keen objectivity and focus to the tasks at hand. While sensitive and caring, he showed those with whom he worked a commitment to duty and a confidence that assured them he was not governed by personal preferences or self-interest. After determining the goal, he would delineate the means to get there. One would be hard-pressed to think of any task he was assigned that was not seen to completion.

    Phil was the third of three sons born to James and Agnes (Krieger) Fink on April 3, 1950. His father had been a student at St. Fidelis Seminary High School and College who became a novice friar in 1937, a classmate of our Fr. Myles Schmitt, OFM Cap. His dad left the novitiate before his profession and raised a family, and who wouldn't now be grateful for the decision he made? Phil was baptized at St. Wendelin Church in Pittsburgh, PA, and later attended the parish elementary school.
   
    Phil's brother Jim, three years his elder, had decided to enter St. Fidelis High School seminary himself in 1961. The two brothers were close, and visits to the seminary and conversations with Jim kindled and reinforced Phil's desire to enter in 1964. The two would be together at various points in their Capuchin formation, be it in High School, in St. Fidelis College or in Theology studies in Washington, DC, though Jim was finishing up while Phil was beginning each level. Phil entered novitiate in 1970 and took his first vows as a Capuchin friar in 1971. Completing college as a friar, he graduated with a B.A. in Counseling Psychology from St. Fidelis in 1973.

    In the field of Counseling Psychology, Phil would find his life's work. A great friend and confidant of then friar Barry Estadt, Director of the Counseling faculty, Phil experienced a trauma in his sophomore year that found its healing through Barry's guidance and attention. In a life-threatening automobile accident, Phil was thrust through the passenger window of a car. His face was serverely cut, and healing involved a number of plastic surgeries. Traumatized by the accident, but with Barry's help, the young college student was led to the junkyard and to the demolished car. Initially he was fearful of entering a car ever again, but seeing the crashed window and remembering the trauma, he was able to come to grips with his fears. His healing became an inspiration for the healing he would bring about in many people's lives.

    After making his solemn vows in 1974, he completed his studies in theology at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC, and earned a Master in Divinity degree (1977) whose requirements involved various practicum experiences in hospitals, parishes and social services. He even trained as a military chaplain for the US Air Force and served in active duty during the summer of 1974. He was ordained a priest on August 27, 1977, and within the week, began his work as a faculty member of St. Fidelis Seminary High School. He would only remain there for one year, not because there was a problem, but because he had a goal.

    From 1978-1979, Phil pursued and received his graduate degree in Counseling Psychology at Loyola University in Baltimore, MD, working again with Barry Estadt who had developed the program. He returned to St. Fidelis as a Guidance Counselor the following year, only to be chosen to join the faculty and staff of the Capuchin Formation Program in Wickliffe, OH, a collaboration in college formation with Cleveland Diocese's Borromeo College of Ohio, begun in 1978.

     After three years at Borromeo, Phil was asked to take on a new task in 1983. It had been decided to sell St. Conrad Friary in Annapolis, MD. For 30 years, it served as the Provincial Novitiate friary, and its sale was necessary due to fewer novices and its costly upkeep. Phil was charged to research and find a new property for the novitiate program and to make whatever renovations were necessary there so as to begin a novitiate year again in 1984. It was a yeoman's task, but the new friary was formally established in October, 1983, and with months of renovation, remodeling and retooling completed, Phil took on the work of Novice Director for the first class at the new St. Conrad Friary in Allison Park, PA.

    His five years as Novice Director were not without their challenges, but that never prevented him from moving forward. With the closing of the seminary in Herman, PA, formation was taking on the new reality of men entering the novitiate without a history of living together at St. Fidelis or learning community skills through their high school and college experience with the friars. Postulancy formation was in flux as each successive year attempted to elucidate a more stable and effective program which could compensate for this change in Provincial culture. A major voice on the Formation Council, Phil would be part of articulating necessary expectations and guidelines for each formational level of a friar's training.

     Phil was finally able to pursue his goal for a doctorate in Psychology in 1989. He received his "Psy.D." from the University of Denver in 1992, which included an internship at the University of Buffalo (NY). Armed now with credentials to seal his experience in Psychology, Phil found his subsequent assignment in line with many other friars in the history of our Province who had earned degrees in specialized fields: he was elected to Provincial leadership. Returning to the Province, he became the Vicar Provincial to our brother Bill Wiethorn, OFM Cap., and took up residence at St. Augustine Friary. Bill asked him to serve as his Executive Secretary as well.

    Since the Provincial Minister was known as more of a "people person" than an adminisrator, Phil forged forward, accomplishing virtually all of the administrative details from managing the various offices of the Province center as well as the more delicate tasks of official work among the friars. He was more than prepared in two years to take the Provincial helm as Provincial when, at a General Chapter in 1994, Bill Wiethorn was elected to serve the International Capuchin Order in Rome as our "General Definitor." Phil would be elected to the post in 1995 at the next Provincial Chapter.

    While efficiency was his hallmark, it's difficult to say whether Phil ever felt "overwhelmed" by his four years as Minister to the friars. For any of us looking in from the outside, these four years were particularly "overwhelming."  Phil was not the best at delegating. Though there were others there to serve, Phil often served as his own secretary and had his hands on every problem that arose. The complexity was compounded in the midst of his terms when one of the elected Definitors asked for a dispensation from Religious life (while serving one of our formation programs!) and the man who was called upon to replace him would follow with his own dispensation within 18 months, leaving the Order and priesthood (while serving as Pastor of a major urban parish). The shock to the heart of the Province was difficult, but Phil soldiered on. In the end, he chose not to accept any nomination to serve another term as Provincial when the Chapter of 1998 convoked.
   
    He was ready to move on.

    The years that followed formed the most rewarding and the most challenging years of Phil's life. It was time for a sabbatical, and Phil decided to take that 'rest' from the daily grind, choosing to live at our St. Clare Friary in Clairton, PA. He took the time to read, to spend time with friends and to re-immerse himself in the field of Psychology. Phil also dealt with an admitted abuse of alcohol. With the encouragement of the Provincial and of close friends, Phil faced head-on this impediment to his life and work. With a treatment program completed, he simply applied himself to never use alcohol again. Mission accomplished.

    Phil hadn't seen a doctor in years, and his brother Jim recommended his own Primary Care Physician. After running tests, a growth was found on the external part of one lung. It was cancerous. Scheduled for surgery, it was during the preparations that a more aggressive prostate cancer was discovered. Phil forged on with surgeries during that year of "rest," accompanied by rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.

    For the next ten years, from 1999-2009, Phil served as Chaplain to the Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse in Baden, PA. It was a time he cherished. The Sisters were as much a support and comfort to him as he was for them. Of course, he was never free from Provincial commitments. The Province continued to call on him to serve Formation boards and act as a  consultor for the newly conceived inter-provincial program for the North American and Pacfic Capuchin Conference (NAPCC). He was even asked to return to his role as Novice Director for two years (2009-2011) as the Novitiate took on its broader purpose.

    Cancer would reappear in another place in these years. Three different brain tumors were found, each treated with "˜gamma knife' therapy, a precise process of locating the tumors and essentially starving them from any further growth through work with lasers.

    In 2011, Phil was trusted with the role of Guardian for the friars at our motherhouse, St. Augustine Friary. As Senior Health Care Coordinator for the Province, he coordinated all efforts for the support and care of the senior friars, attempting as far as possible to care for the brothers at "home" until extraordinary care made a nursing facility necessary. In many ways, he was the perfect Guardian. He cared very much for the men, and they trusted him. He continued his belief in the adage that "if you want something done right, do it yourself," and he would plan festive celebrations with pinache, asking his brother Jim to assist him in making the celebrations of feasts and holidays a real treat for the brothers.

     During these years, he loved "helpouts," going to various parishes for Sunday Masses, because it "kept him on track with real people." Celebrating two and three Masses every Sunday was common. He had a special place in his heart for the women of "Rachel's Vineyard," offering retreats and counseling for women seeking healing after abortions and identifying the ways that the loss impacted them in the past and present.

    Phil's oncology doctor had once counted Phil to be fortunate indeed. He said that 95% of the people who suffered the cancers he fought would not survive five years. Instead, he considered himself blessed to be a part of the 5% of survivors and counted his 16 years as precious gifts of added time. The final cancer that would take his life appeared, however: this time in the lymph nodes. And it would spread quickly. Phil wasn't sure how much time he had, but it was too short. He became weaker, but his own personal care of the friars, even then, was astounding. In a special way, he cared for our brother Bertin Roll until Bert's passing. That was just three months before Phil's own passing, but it would allow Bertin to avoid separation from the friars for as long as possible.

    Phil's brother, Jim, remained as Phil's companion and support in the final days. Jim made calls to friends, letting them know that time was running out for Phil. Friends would call to say their goodbyes and promise their prayers and love. One call came from our brother Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., who called Jim while he was heading home for a change of clothes. It was pretty impressive to him that Sean was about to have Mass with the Holy Father in Rome, but Sean, like so many others, wanted to touch base with Phil, to hear his voice and to encourage him with their love.

    Phil was sleeping most of the time in the last five days. He passed to his life in the Lord on April 11, 2015, eight days after his 65th birthday.

    On Wednesday, April 15, friars, family and friends filled the chapel of St. Augustine to over-flowing for the Vigil of Prayer. Leon Leitem, OFM Cap., Vicar of the fraternity of St. Augustine, led the reflections by pointing to Phil's courage and life of service. A number of others shared their memories of Phil, including a woman who eloquently thanked him for the compassion and support he offered to mothers and fathers at Rachel's Vineyard Ministries.

    Throughout the day of visitation and again at the funeral, family and friends were joined by former students, many now friars, who were taught and guided by Phil throughout the years. Many women religious, especially Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden and Franciscan Sisters of Millvale, were well-represented among the mourners at the vigil and funeral Mass.

    On April 16, more than 60 friars joined over 300 family and friends for the Mass of Christian Burial, bidding their last farewell. Provincial Minister David Nestler, OFM Cap., was main celebrant and homilist, framing his words around a crucifix given to him by Phil some years before. Considered by David at first to be a piece of art not to his liking, it attained beauty over the years, he said, and reflected Phil's life of faith as he encountered many struggles and crosses in his own life. After the Mass, Phil's body was taken to the friars' plot at St. Augustine Cemetery to rest among the brothers there, many of whom were touched by Phil's life and charity along with those who had touched him as well.

    Phil was driven. A tireless worker. A man of conviction and prudence. He always had a unique knack for figuring things out, contemplating solutions and making a plan. Even in the areas of his life where he had little control, he dealt with it by controlling his inability to control. His sixty-five years were a grace for our Province and for so many women and men in so many different walks of life. His interests and talents were varied and multiple. He has been blessed now to enter the rest in Christ Jesus promised for those who "labor and are heavy burdened."

    It's hard not to imagine that it was a rest for which he planned all along. It's just that, for us, his timing left something to be desired.

Read Fr. Bonaventures's Salute to our brother Phil