Father John Kelly celebrates 25 years as a priest

Father Kelly was ordained Oct. 12, 1984, at the Co–Cathedral of St. Thomas More and has been pastor at St. Sylvester Parish since 2003.

Father John Kelly, center, prays the words of the Eucharistic Prayer during the Oct. 11 Mass at St. Sylvester Parish at which he celebrated his 25th anniverasry of ordination to the priesthood.

PEGGY DEKEYSER | FC
Father John Kelly, center, prays the words of the Eucharistic Prayer during the Oct. 11 Mass at St. Sylvester Parish at which he celebrated his 25th anniverasry of ordination to the priesthood.

PEGGY DEKEYSER | FLORIDA CATHOLIC PENSACOLA-TALLAHASSEE BUREAU EDITOR

Posted: 10.23.09

GULF BREEZE | Father John Kelly borrowed a phrase from baseball great Lou Gehrig at the end of the Mass in celebration of his 25th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. His voice choking with emotion, he told the capacity assembly at St. Sylvester Parish Oct. 11, “Because of God’s goodness and because of your goodness, today I feel like the most blessed man on the face of the earth.”

Father Kelly was ordained Oct. 12, 1984, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More. He has served at Good Shepherd, Holy Name of Jesus, St. Ann, the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, Blessed Trinity, St. Joseph the Worker, Our Lady of Victory, St. Margaret of Scotland (in DeFuniak Springs), and St. Sylvester Parish, where he has been the pastor since 2003.

Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, celebrated the Mass, which Msgr. Luke Hunt Msgr. Michael Tugwell, and Fathers Alvaro Gonzalez and Kelly concelebrated.

In his homily, Bishop Ricard thanked God for the gift of Father Kelly’s priesthood to the people of St. Sylvester Parish and to the diocese. He also thanked Father Kelly’s parents, Robert and Marlene Kelly, for their gift of their son to the priesthood. He cited the day’s Gospel, the story of the rich young man who was unable to sell all he owned to give it to the poor.

“Today’s Gospel is a rich storehouse for reflection on the meaning of the priesthood and for each of us, as we are called by virtue of our baptism to respond to the call to follow Christ with all our hearts,” the bishop said. “It’s important to celebrate Father Kelly’s anniversary and to celebrate the priesthood because it is the priest who opens up the treasure of the Eucharist for the church. The priest forgives sins. We can leave confession with a healed conscience. He is there to welcome our children into the world to wash them clean in the waters of baptism. When we leave this world, thank God the priest is there to help us on our final journey to eternal life.”

Following the Mass, the parish hosted a reception in Father Kelly’s honor.

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