Brief History
- 1978: Deacon Ken was ordained on June 17th and assigned to San Rafael Parish, later serving at Mission San Luis Rey.
- 1982: Deacon Ken and Marie attended the 2nd International Congress for the Family of the Americas and had the blessing of meeting Saint Mother Teresa.
- 1982–1983: Life in the Spirit Seminars were developed. Deacon Ken began prison ministry as Chaplain in 1983 and launched the monthly newsletter that same year.
- August 1989: St. Dismas Guild was officially incorporated.
- 1992: Deacon Ken and Marie co-authored the Bread of Life Catholic Bible Study.
- 1996: Deacon Ken and Marie co-authored Secrets of a Happy Family and developed Marriage Seminars.
- Ongoing: Tens of thousands of prisoners have been served since its inception.
- 2000: Culture of Life Family Services was formed as an outreach of St. Dismas Guild and later became its own independent nonprofit.
- Later: Benedictus was established as another outreach ministry and also became its own independent nonprofit.
This faithful journey continues to bear fruit for the Kingdom through the grace of God.
How St. Dismas Guild Began
Deacon Ken Finn was ordained in 1978 and soon began serving as a prison chaplain, counseling 100 to 150 inmates each month. With deep compassion, he reminded them, “Christ loved the sinner… I have never met a person in my life who does not want to be loved.”
This ministry ignited a passion in Deacon Ken for the imprisoned. Seeing their great spiritual hunger, he and his wife Marie founded St. Dismas Guild in 1989, inspired by Saint Mother Teresa. They set out to create a free Catholic Bible Study workbook that follows the Church’s liturgical cycle. After receiving valuable feedback from Mother Teresa and her sisters, the Bread of Life Catholic Bible Study was completed in 1992 with the blessing of Pope Saint John Paul II and the imprimatur of the Church.
St. Dismas Guild exists to bring Jesus Christ and the Word of God to the broken, the lost, the lonely, the sick, and the imprisoned. Through Sacred Scripture, Church teaching, and the Sacraments, the Guild helps souls encounter Christ and grow in His grace. Over the years, Deacon Ken and Marie also led numerous Life in the Spirit Seminars, Marriage Seminars, and men’s and women’s retreats.
On February 7, 2014, Deacon Ken went home to the Lord. He remains greatly missed, and the Guild continues to seek his heavenly intercession.
Today, the mission thrives. Every Month, St. Dismas Guild sends the Bread of Life Catholic Bible Study and other Catholic materials to more than 135 prisoners — welcoming about 55 new inmates — across over 1,000 facilities, all at no cost. The Guild also reaches over 5,000 supporters through a monthly newsletter filled with powerful testimonies of transformation.
One such life is Frank’s. Trapped for 20 years in addiction to alcohol, heroin, and cocaine, he hit bottom in jail. Through the faithful support of Deacon Ken and Marie, and by opening the Scriptures, Frank encountered the living Christ. Clean for 25 years, he joyfully declares: “When Christ comes into your life, there is nothing you can’t achieve.”
may be made out to: