News Item: : Fr. Peter Kelly - Requiescat in Pace
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Monday 16 July 2018 - 10:59:22

Two good priests of the Archdiocese of Liverpool have died in recent days. The first that we heard about was Fr. Peter Kelly, who died at Ince Blundell last week at the age of 84. Fr. Kelly had been a priest of the Archdiocese for over 55 years.

As a young man, Fr. Kelly had worked for the Liverpool office of HM Customs and Excise. After training at Upholland College, he was ordained to the sacred priesthood by (then) Archbishop John Carmel Heenan in June 1963; just weeks before the late Archbishop, and later Cardinal, was appointed to the See of Westminster.

In the decades that followed, Fr. Kelly became a well known figure in the Archdiocese, through serving as assistant priest in many parishes and as parish priest at a few of them. He suffered the cross of ill health for many years and this sometimes cut short his parish placements. In 1993, he took on lighter duties as chaplain to Nazareth House in Widnes, ''retiring'' in 2002.

I met Fr. Kelly in 1997, at one of his pro-life days of prayer in the beautiful Holy Family church at Ince Blundell. I had just left my job at the Bank and was about to head off to Ushaw seminary. When he heard where I was headed, Fr. Kelly generously set aside some time to hear my confession, chat to me about the priesthood and give me some good fatherly advice. I remember that he highlighted the importance of devotion to Our Lady and the praying of the Holy Rosary. As he was a member of the Marian Movement of Priests (MMP) one would expect nothing less. In fact, I seem to remember Fr. Kelly telling me to stay close to the lay people involved in that movement as ''they're sincere, they will pray for you and they will keep you grounded.''

Among all the regular Archdiocesan clergy, I never met another priest who was so well informed about, nor so articulate and consistent in speaking out against, the global tentacles and reach of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

Fr. Kelly cared profoundly about the unborn and he regularly used his sermons, pro-life days of prayer and writings to inform people and to stand up for the fundamental right to life, which is so often threatened in our age.

To be honest, I don't think Fr. Kelly was too chuffed with me when I next turned up at one of those pro-life days with my wife in tow in 2003; having left the seminary and eventually got married. Nevertheless, we attended the monthly pro-life days which he ran at Ince Blundell, with the devout and hardworking Mary, as often as we could until going off to America for two years in 2004. We also attended a First Saturday devotion, which he hosted at the little church of Our Lady of Fatima in Bala, over in North Wales. I remember those days as good times of prayer, intercession, fellowship and an opportunity to receive important information from Fr. Kelly's researches.

After going off to Steubenville for those two years between 2004-2006, we lost touch with Fr. Kelly. However, we did hear updates on the grapevine over the years about his ongoing health problems, participation in events to intercede for priests and his ongoing involvement with the Marian Movement of Priests.

In 2015, Fr. Kelly was one of the 461 UK priests who signed the public letter urging the Rome Synod to stand firm on the true teachings of the Magisterium regarding divorce/re-''marriage'' and the reception of Holy Communion. In the present climate, that was itself a courageous act.

There will be a Mass of Reception for Fr. Kelly at St. John Stone Church in Ainsdale, on Monday 23rd July at 7:00pm. His funeral will take place there at 12 noon on Tuesday 24th July, with Burial at Ford Cemetery to follow.

Fr. Kelly loved Our Lord and Our Lady, promoted the Rosary faithfully and worked with a special devotion for the rights of the unborn. He also had a high awareness of the spiritual warfare of these times. We thank God for his priesthood and ministry to so many souls over the years. Please keep the repose of his immortal soul in your prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Peter Kelly, dear Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him, and may he rest in peace. Amen.

Our Lady, Queen of the Holy Rosary - Pray for us!       

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1741 )