By Jennifer Marino
On a sunny, blue-skied day, the cathedral was full of parishioners young and old. It was on that very day, June 2, that Monsignor Kelly was ordained at St. Agnes in 1962. He celebrated the 11:45 a.m. Mass with many members of the congregation to commemorate the day. The reception in the auditorium followed the Mass.
Monsignor Kelly, rector of St. Agnes Cathedral, was 25 years old when he was ordained by Bishop Kellenberg. The baby of the family, his two older sisters were there in 1962 and they were there in 2002. His first assignment after his ordination was St. Pius in Plainview. He also worked at two high schools and St. Aidan's.
During his homily, Kelly spoke of his mother and how she emphasized the importance of family meals while he was growing up. The whole family had to sit together and talk during dinner. He mentioned that he has never been to McDonald's or most other fast food restaurants because mealtime was too important to be fast.
This part of the homily coincided with the day's Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, since Mass is considered to be a communal meal for the congregation. Just as dinner is a time to touch base with family, Mass is a time to touch base with the religious family. He spoke of his gratitude to the people of St. Agnes. I am grateful to you for your example, he said.
Kelly also noted the joy he felt in celebrating all the sacraments with his parishioners, from baptism at birth, to marriage and the last rites at death. He spoke especially of the tough time the community had because of the many losses from the Sept. 11 attacks. I'm a person that wants to walk with you in your joys and in your sorrows, he said.
Parishioners are glad that he is there, and they responded to his homily with a standing ovation. We are happy to have him in our parish. He is wonderful, said Mary Snyder.
Some members of the congregation also note the smaller, more concrete improvements Kelly has made. He has done a lot of nice things for the parish, with flowers and decorating, said Joan Herfner.
The Monsignor's sense of humor was evident throughout his homily as he poked fun at his age, saying that it's amazing that he is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his ordination since he is only 45 years old.
The church lifted its voices along with the choir to sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah as Monsignor Kelly walked down the aisle and exited the cathedral. Perhaps they were praising God for sending them Monsignor Kelly.
