A funeral Mass for Father Richard “Dick” Quinn, CSsR, was celebrated on Aug. 2 at the St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community in Barnhart. He died July 29 at age 87 while in hospice care at the mission community. An honest and straightforward confrere, he was deeply committed to serving the people of God — as a parish priest or an Army chaplain — with unwavering dedication and enthusiasm for more than five decades.
Richard Maurice Quinn was born to Richard and Josephine (Moriarty) Quinn on March 9, 1937 in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his siblings grew up two blocks from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Parish, a focal point of the neighborhood. His aunt was Sister Anne Edward Quinn, a Sister of St. Joseph, who prayed for religious vocations for her nieces and nephews. He credited her prayers for his vocation as a Redemptorist priest and noted that his sister became Sister Mary Patricia Quinn, CSJ, and two of his first cousins became Maryknoll priests.
After graduating from Redemptorist Grade School, he entered the Redemptorist formation program at St. Joseph Preparatory College in Kirkwood. He proceeded to novitiate at Mount St. Clement’s in De Soto and professed temporary vows on Aug. 2, 1957. He completed theological studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and professed perpetual vows on Sept. 2, 1960. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Roman R. Atkielski of Milwaukee on Dec. 27, 1962.
After completing Tirocinium at St. Alphonsus “Rock” Parish in St. Louis in 1964, Father Dick served in parish ministry throughout the Denver Province for more than five decades. He was assigned at Holy Name Parish in Omaha from 1964-69, followed by an appointment at St. Alphonsus Parish in Minneapolis from 1969-71. He was appointed superior of the local community and pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from 1971-75, when he was appointed pastor and superior of the local community at Holy Redeemer Parish in Detroit, a large, multicultural parish.
Father Dick returned to St. Alphonsus Parish in Minneapolis in 1978, where he remained for three years. He was appointed pastor and superior of the local community at St. Alphonsus Parish in Grand Rapids in 1981, where he served for six years. After 23 years in parish ministry, he was assigned to promote Liguorian Magazine at Liguori Mission House in Liguori. After only six months, he was able to fulfill his desire to serve as a military chaplain.
In his first assignment, he served the Catholic troops of the 4th Infantry Division stationed at Fort Carson Army Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as the Colorado Springs Police Department. The Army sent Chaplain Captain Quinn to Mannheim, Germany for three years. He was the only Catholic priest among 21 chaplains serving 21,000 troops. He returned to the U.S. and spent his last year in military service as the only priest among 18 chaplains serving 15,000 troops at Fort Polk in Louisiana. Not to be outdone by his beloved troops, Father Dick left the military in 1994 with tattoos on each arm — one depicting the seal of the Redemptorists and the other the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. He returned to ministry at his home parish.
Father Dick was named pastor and superior of the local community at St. Thomas Parish in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 1996. He also was spiritual director of the Idaho Catholic Youth Commission.
Father Dick returned to Holy Name Parish in Omaha in 1999 as pastor and superior of the local community. In 2002, he was appointed pastor and superior of the local community at Sacred Heart Parish in Seattle.
After three years, he returned to St. Alphonsus Parish in Grand Rapids as pastor and superior of the local community. When his eyesight began to fail in 2007, he returned to his home parish in Kansas City. He remained occupied with priestly concerns and pastoral interests until health issues necessitated his move to the St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community in 2018.
He served as chaplain for various police departments throughout his ministry.
Father Dick died peacefully while Sister Pat and his confreres prayed the Rosary at his bedside.
