For all the intuitive appeal of working in Apple’s Pages application, I can’t believe that they didn’t supply a keyboard command for inserting a footnote. I can call the Colors menu with a keyboard shortcut, but to insert a footnote I have to reach for the mouse and pull down a menu item. Hmph!
I think you can just add one with the Keyboard Shortcut system preference.
You can indeed set it through keyboard/mouse in system preferences and then “keyboard shortcuts.” Remember to quit Pages first, or it will not work.
P.S. I’m glad to see you’re doing well- it’s been a long time since the diocesan theology commission in New Jersey.