Fr William Joseph Kelly

Early life

“It is a long way to Tipperary” bit it is even further to Barnane in Co Tipperary, close to the mountain called ‘Devilsbit’ where William Kelly was born on September 19, 1916. He was called ‘Bill’ but Ned would have suited him too. He was a wonderful priest, but also a bit of a devil, the nicest possible way. His early education was received at Christian Brothers College, Thurles and he studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Thurles. He was ordained priest in the Assumption Cathedral, Thurles on June 14, 1942.

Appointments

Fr Kelly was due to come to Australia, but because of World War II he was given a temporary appointment as assistant priest at Ballincally, Killaloe, Ireland. Later that year he moved to England where he again received a temporary appointment as assistant priest at Portslade, Southwark.

Fr Kelly arrived in Adelaide on July 21, 1945. His first appointment was as assistant priest in the St Francis Xavier's Cathedral parish where he remained until November that year when he was appointed assistant priest in Mt Gambier.

He remained in the South East until June 1, 1949 when he was appointed assistant priest at Kingswood. While at Kingswood he took one period of extended leave in 1953 to visit his family in Ireland.

On July 1, 1954 he was appointed parish priest of the railway town of Tailem Bend, where he had to live in an asbestos ‘lean to’ at the back of the church where it was stifling hot in summer and freezing cold in winter. Then in January 1958 he handed over to fellow countryman Fr Peter McCabe who hailed from County Cavan.

Fr Bill’s next appointment was as parish priest of Snowtown, which at that time was part of the Archdiocese of Adelaide.  Four years later in February 1962 he was appointed Rector Irremovable at Mount Barker. 

This proved to be a significant phase of Fr Bill’s ministry, even though he once described it uneventful. He arrived to a new school with a debt of $15,000, a dilapidated presbytery, a neglected cemetery, three churches in need of repairs, a parcel of land with no fences and overgrown with scrub and noxious weeds and very little money in the bank. In 1963 there were 117 students in the school with three Sisters of Mercy as teachers. Nevertheless a School Inspector’s report gave a glowing account of how well the school was functioning.

Given the poor financial circumstances of the parish, Fr Kelly called a meeting of parishioners and explained the situation. It was a “pretty heated” meeting but they decided to call in professional fundraisers. Parishioners cooperated well and enough money was raised to pay off the school debt, do the major repairs to the churches, paint the old presbytery and fence and clean up the adjoining land. Plus the Mass attendance improved. 

During 1964 Fr Kelly again took extended leave to Ireland and during his absence Fr Tom Mulkerrin oversaw the ongoing refurbishment of the interior of the church of Our Lady of Mercy. Fr Kelly also gave great encouragement and support to the St Vincent de Paul Society, and under his guidance the Catholic Women’s League was established in 1969. The people of Mt Barker remember Fr Bill with great love and affection.

His next appointment on January 30, 1970 was as parish priest of Woodville. During his time there the priests moved from the presbytery at Beaufort Street to a more suitable residence nearer the church. In 1974 he again took four months leave to Ireland.

Diocesan appointments

In 1975 he was elected a proxy member of the Priests Senate and also the Senate Representative on The Southern Cross Advisory Board for 1975–76.

On January 29, 1976 he left Woodville to be appointed parish priest at Kurralta Park and moved to a presbytery that was regarded as rather spooky.

In February 1979 he was elected Chairman of the Senate of Priests, a position he held for two years. While at Kurralta Park Fr Bill has a few health problems, but another trip to Ireland helped to improve his state of health and mind.

In June 1980 he was appointed a Diocesan Consultor for a term of three years, but then was reappointed for a further term of three years till 1986.

On June 1, 1983 Fr Kelly was appointed a member of the newly formed Council of Priests, which replaced the Senate of Priests. His initial appointment was for three years, but when two weeks later he was appointed parish priest of Riverton, very soon he elected a representative of the mid-North Region – a position he held till 1993.

Fr Bill Kelly is well remembered by the people of the mid-north in Riverton, Balaklava and Manoora. Using Fr Bill’s consultancy skill some unoccupied presbyteries were sold and he built a very comfortable new presbytery and a well appointed parish centre at Riverton.

As can be seen Fr Kelly not only took great care of the parishes entrusted to him, but through his various diocesan appointments  he also made a valuable contribution to the life and service of the wider church. In every parish he served, Fr Bill was remembered as a very friendly, jovial, generous and holy priest, who was also a ‘bit of a devil’ at heart.

He loved everything Irish, his family, his Seminary at Thurles (where he returned for three student reunions), as well as the occasional Guinness. He loved Irish music and dancing and was delighted when the newly formed Tara Pipes and Drums Band performed at a function on St Patrick’s Day held in his church hall at Plympton. He was taken completely unawares as the “Consultor had not been consulted”. But he was thrilled.

Fr Bill took seriously the Lord’s command to make hospitality your special care. He was noted throughout the diocese, especially by his brother priests as a man of great generosity and hospitality. He loved celebrations and many well remember the celebration of his Golden Jubilee of Ordination in the Riverton High School Gym in June 1992, where many funny anecdotes were shared.

Final days

In January 1997 he retired from active ministry with the title of Pastor Emeritus and took up residence at Murphy Villa at Plympton. But a year later his ‘rest’ was interrupted when he was told that he had cancer and that ‘his race was almost run' ... a phrase he often used when presiding at funerals of parishioners. He was well prepared when the Lord called him on April 15, 1998 when he died in the Mary Potter Hospice.

His Funeral Mass was celebrated in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on April 17 and the burial was at the Navan Cemetery among the people he had loved and served for so many years.

May he rest in peace.