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CSA feature: Father Tristan Stovall

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Father Tristan Stovall began his journey with the Vocations Team on the day of his ordination when the Bishop appointed him as assistant vocation director. “It was an unexpected but deeply humbling moment, and I am truly excited to collaborate with Father Nick Adam and serve in this ministry on behalf of the Bishop. This role offers an incredible opportunity to nurture and support future leaders of our church,” says Father Tristan.

Currently, Father Tristan is assigned to St. Joseph in Starkville and works with the students at Mississippi State University, which has proven to be fertile ground for vocations ministry. “I believe our diocese is brimming with potential, and we are witnessing a growing interest among young men in the priesthood and religious life. For instance, at least two young men who were involved at MSU are now applying to the seminary. It’s inspiring to walk alongside these individuals, guiding them as they discern God’s call,” he shares.

Father Tristan highlights the impact of open conversations about vocations. “So much happens when people openly discuss the possibility of religious vocations. Often, one young person’s openness to exploring this path inspires others to consider it as well,” he explains. He encourages parishioners to play a vital role by asking young men if they have ever considered becoming a priest. “The power of conversation cannot be overstated in fostering a culture that encourages vocations,” he adds.

Your contributions to the Catholic Service Appeal are vital for the growth of the Office of Vocations. “Your generosity ensures that our diocese will continue to have holy and dedicated priests to serve future generations. By supporting the CSA, you are investing in the spiritual leadership that will sustain and nurture our parishes for years to come,” says Father Tristan.

Together, we can create a vibrant community that encourages and supports those called to serve. Let us continue to pray for and support vocations so that the church may flourish with dedicated leaders committed to God’s mission.

The annual Catholic Service Appeal brings together people from across the Diocese of Jackson to support the vital ministries that serve our community. Through this appeal, we hope you will be moved by the inspiring stories of those who have been touched by these ministries and the impactful work being done throughout the diocese. When we unite as one, we carry the Gospel message of hope, spreading faith and compassion to those in need. 

Youth

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Youth Photos from Around the Diocese

JACKSON – St. Richard students, Thomas Ueltschey and Andrew Compretta, enjoyed popsicles and an outdoor bubble party that they earned for reaching their fundraising goal during #iGiveCatholic. (Photo by Caitlin Burkes)
PEARL – St. Jude parish celebrated Las Posadas on Dec. 18, 2024. Posada is the Spanish word for lodging, it is religious celebration in Latin America that commemorates Joseph and Mary’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. (Photo by Jessica Sullivan)

TUPELO – Elementary faith formation students at St. James parish dressed up as the Three Kings who brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. Pictured above are Patton Weatherford in red, Christian Orostico in purple and Thomas Weatherford in blue, with Father Octavio Escobar on Jan. 4. Pictured below are Jones Bridges, Peter Morton and Reagan Burnley on Jan. 5. (Photo by Rhonda R. Swita)

JACKSON – Sixth graders at St. Richard School offer several gift options to the residents at the Manhattan Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for Christmas. All items are donated, and the residents “pay” with pretend money. The Manhattan Mall is one of the biggest service projects that the St. Richard sixth grade class participates in throughout the year. Everything is decorated, set up and organized by the students. Pictured is Michael Turner assisting a resident shop for Christmas gifts, as Nicholas Morisani looks on. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)
TUPELO – St. James parish held a Christmas VBS program on Dec. 15, 2024, in conjunction with their monthly family faith formation program. It was the first time all parents attended a VBS event! The theme for the program was: “The Wonder and Awe of Our Lord.” Parents worked together coming up with “I Wonder” statements, and created a family heart to place in their home manager scene, or a star to place on their Christmas tree. For games, families played a “memory” card game matching up the mysteries of the rosary. It was a special time for family and faith interaction. The Bible adventure also included three students dancing to the song “Mary Did You Know.” Pictured are Carolyn Gan Lim (in back), Emma Thompson (in front) and Elizabeth Sheffield (on right with doll). (Photo by Rhonda R. Swita)
MAGEE – Children at St. James parish enjoyed a visit from Santa. (Photo by Kirby J. Rivere)

God’s Word: a lamp for our feet and light for our lives

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Each year on the third Sunday in Ordinary Time the Church celebrates Sunday of the Word of God. This annual commemoration began with Aperuit illis an apostolic letter, by Pope Francis issued on Sept. 30, 2019, the feast of St. Jerome instituting this annual observance. Sunday of the Word of God is devoted to the raising up of the Sacred Scriptures throughout the Catholic world while fostering a more widespread love for God’s Word on a daily basis.

The first Sunday of the Word of God occurred on Jan. 26, 2020, and this year’s observance will occur on Jan. 25-26. The pope said that he wrote the apostolic letter in response to requests from around the world to celebrate the Word of God in an extra special manner. In time, it is the desire of Pope Francis and many in the church that Sunday of the Word of God will be as central to the Catholic culture and imagination as is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

This earnest desire was expressed 60 years ago at the Second Vatican Council. “The treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s word.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium) The Council Fathers pointed out that Sacred Scriptures already permeate the entire liturgy, often a treasure hidden in plain sight. “Sacred Scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. For it is from scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in their inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures that actions and signs derive their meaning. Thus, it is essential to promote that warm and living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and western rites gives testimony.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium)

The Word of God is essential for Eucharistic Revival because through its proclamation and hearing in the assembly of the faithful the Holy Spirit inspires faith and prepares our hearts and minds for communion with the Body and Blood of the Lord and empowers us in our daily lives to live with the mind and heart of Jesus Christ. The period of fasting before Mass and the reception of Holy Communion is intended to sharpen our attention and focus, and to cultivate a hunger and thirst for the living Word of God, and for the reception of the Eucharist.

Indeed, the quest for renewal in the church finds its power in the Mass. “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.” Hearing the Word of God and putting it into practice is the heart of fully conscious participation.

The sacred scriptures that will be proclaimed on Sunday of the Word of God this year are outstanding. From the Book of Nehemiah, the assembly of Israel gathered to renew their Covenant with God through the proclamation of the law. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians illustrates the church as a living organism, the body, comprised of many members. In light of this passage, we know that at every gathering in our churches, we proclaim to the heavens that the church is a living body giving glory to God.

Lastly, the Gospel of St. Luke situates Jesus in then synagogue in Nazareth where he had grown up, announcing a Jubilee Year of Hope for all of the people with an outpouring of glad tidings, liberty and sight. May God’s Word accomplish its purpose in our lives as a lamp for our feet and a light for the eyes of our hearts and minds.

Called by Name

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The new year is upon us and we continue to build on the momentum that we started back in the summer. Our partnership with Vianney Vocations continues and we have some work to do!

More than 130 names were submitted back in November during our first-ever Called By Name weekend, when parishioners took part in encouraging young men in their parish to think about the priesthood and to help the Department of Vocations connect them with resources to help their discernment. Our Vocation Team, which is a group of priests from across the diocese, will begin reaching out to all of those young men this month and inviting them to take part in a discernment group.

You may remember that we launched a few six-week discernment groups last fall and more than 30 young men took part. We expect that those numbers will greatly increase this spring. I would like to thank all of those who participated in the Called by Name campaign. Think about it: the Department of Vocations has over 130 more contacts than we had before. That is God at work.

The next big discernment trip will be hosted by assistant vocation director Father Tristan Stovall. Father Tristan is taking college age and above guys to Notre Dame Seminary at the end of January. The men will tour the seminary, take part in classes and visit with our seminarians as well as the other men at NDS. We will have a seminary trip to St. Joseph College Seminary a little later in the spring for our younger discerners. These trips are always important and thanks to Called by Name and other initiatives, more men are being invited to participate.

Our goal continues to be ambitious, but full of confident faith in the Lord: 33 seminarians by the year 2030. We have two applicants for the coming year so far, and we will see what the Lord has in store when our discernment groups launch, and God continues to work on the hearts of the young men who are participating.

As you discuss our vocation efforts with possible discerners, parents and your Catholic friends, help them to understand that seminary formation is not just for men who know they are called to be priests. Seminary formation is for any man who is open to the will of God and thinks that priesthood might be his call. Too many people dismiss the possibility of going to seminary off hand because they misunderstand what the seminary is for.

The seminary exists primarily to form young men, and many of them become priests, but not all. Many of the guys who start seminary formation don’t end up getting ordained, and that is ok. If a man has the requisite maturity and the correct attitude and openness to formation, he will end up being a better Catholic professional and husband than he would have been without that formation.

Thank you all for your incredible support of our programs. I have been inspired by the amount of phone calls, letters and gifts that we’ve received to keep our programs going and to support our men in priestly formation. Thank you, and Happy New Year. Let’s go find some more seminarians!

(For more information on vocations, visit jacksonvocations.com or contact Father Nick Adam at (601) 969-4020 or nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)

New Orleans archbishop, others offer prayer and support for victims of ‘evil’ deadly New Year attack; FBI investigating as terrorism

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By OSV News
Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans offered prayers for victims of what he described as a “sign of utter disrespect for human life” perpetrated by a man who drove a Ford pickup truck through crowds celebrating the New Year in New Orleans’ French Quarter around 3:15 a.m. Jan. 1. At least 15 people were reportedly killed, with around 35 others injured.

The driver was killed by police after leaving the vehicle and exchanging gunfire with law enforcement, striking two officers. The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.

“Our prayers go out to those killed and injured in this morning’s horrific attack on Bourbon Street,” said Archbishop Aymond, a New Orleans native, in a Jan. 1 statement. “This violent act is a sign of utter disrespect for human life. I join with others in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans in offering prayerful support to the victims’ families. I give thanks for the heroic duty of hundreds of law enforcement and medical personnel in the face of such evil.”

A man helps prepare a makeshift memorial in New Orleans Jan. 2, 2025, following a terrorist attack in which people were killed by a man driving a pickup truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early Jan. 1. At least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured, and the suspect was shot to death by police, authorities said. (OSV News photo/Eduardo Munoz, Reuters)

Officials identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, and said he likely did not act alone. An ISIS flag was located on the vehicle’s trailer hitch. The FBI found explosive devices in the pickup truck and elsewhere in the French Quarter, including reportedly near the historic Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

In an early afternoon press conference, officials described Jabbar, 42, as “a U.S.-born citizen from Texas” and U.S. Army veteran, and that law enforcement is looking for known associates. Anyone who had interacted with Jabbar within 72 hours prior to the attack is asked to contact the FBI at the agency’s tip line, 1-800-CALL-FBI.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and other city officials confirmed that the attack was deliberate and that they were focused on ensuring the safety of the city’s residents and visitors. Officials did not release information about the identities of the victims known dead. A few hours later, authorities updated the death count from 10 to 15.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said during the press conference that there were “some people who are fighting for their lives right now in the hospital.”

“So I’d ask everyone to pray for them,” she said. “They need our support and they need our prayers.
“This was a heinous act. A heinous, cowardly act,” she added. “And we will find them and we will bring them to justice.”

At the press conference, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced he had issued an amended emergency declaration so “that we could bring all of our federal, state, and local agencies to bear in preparation for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.” Because of the attack, Landry said he also ordered “the mobilization of a military police company” in New Orleans.

Also speaking at the press conference, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said, “I wish I understood better why bad things happen to good people.”

“If I make it to heaven, I’m going to ask,” he said. “For those people who don’t believe in objective evil, all you have to do is look at what happened in our city early this morning. If this doesn’t trigger the gag reflex of every American, every fair-minded American, I’ll be very surprised.”

Kirkpatrick, whose role includes chief of police, called the action “evil” and that “New Orleans Police and all law enforcement is built, we are built, for dealing with evil.”

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury.”

“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind,” he said.

University of Notre Dame president Father Robert Dowd, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, shared a message on a website for Notre Dame alumni and friends and on X, where he said the university community extends “our deepest gratitude to the brave first responders who risked their lives to protect others.”

“To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame,” he wrote. “Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy.”

Saying that it is “always grounded in faith, hope, and love, especially at difficult times,” the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis posted on social media the archdiocese’s “Family Prayer” requesting the intercession of Mary under the title of “Our Lady of Prompt Succor.” It noted that the church “serves the entire Archdiocese and far beyond, but the French Quarter is our home and neighborhood.”

“We stand in solidarity with those who lost loved ones this morning,” it said. “We are grateful for the first responders and other healthcare and law enforcement professionals who put themselves in harm’s way and who care for the injured.”

The attack occurred on the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace.

Christ’s birth brings light to a troubled world, pope says

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By Justin McLellan
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In a troubled world, the birth of Christ reveals God’s unwavering determination to draw all people to himself and illuminate even the darkest corners, Pope Francis said.

Despite being born into a world “where there is a great need for light, for hope and a need for peace, a world where people at times create situations so complicated that it seems impossible to get out of them,” Jesus, the pope said, opens windows of light “even in the darkest nights of humanity.”

“God never stops, he finds a thousand ways to reach everyone, each and every one of us, wherever we are, without calculation and without conditions,” he said before praying the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square Jan 5.

Pope Francis said that Christmas celebrates how Jesus, through his humble birth, “overcomes so many walls and so many divisions.”

“He confronts the closed minds and hearts of the ‘great’ of his time, who are concerned more with defending power than seeking the Lord,” he said.

Born to parents “without means,” Jesus offers himself to the shepherds who were in the fields with their sheep, “men whose hearts are marked by the harshness of life and the disdain of society,” the pope said, as well as to the Magi who find Jesus “in great poverty.”

Pope Francis greets visitors in St. Peter’s Square gathered to pray the the Angelus Jan. 5, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Pope Francis said Christians should be consoled and encouraged by the context of Jesus’ birth: “It seems impossible to get out of so many situations, but today the word of God tells us that it is not.”

He said that Christians are called to “to imitate the God of love, opening up glimmers of light wherever we can, with whomever we meet, in any context: family, social, international.”

God “invites us to not be afraid of taking the first step,” the pope said. “This is the Lord’s invitation today: let us not fear taking the first step; it takes courage to do it but let us not be afraid.”
Pope Francis said that opening “wide bright windows of closeness to those who are suffering, of forgiveness, of compassion and reconciliation” are the “many first steps we must take to make the path clearer, safer and possible for all.”

Particularly during the current Holy Year, he said, God invites Christians to be messengers of hope by saying “yes” to life in simple and concrete ways “with choices that bring life.”

After praying the Angelus, Pope Francis prayed for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar and Sudan. He called on the international community to “act firmly so that humanitarian law is respected in conflicts.”

“No more striking schools, hospitals; no more hitting workplaces,” he said. “Let us not forget that war is always a defeat, always!”

Coming to peace with our lack of recognition

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IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
We crave few things as deeply as self-expression and recognition. We have an irrepressible need to express ourselves, be known, recognized, understood and seen by others as unique, gifted and significant. A heart that is unknown, unappreciated in its depth, lacking in meaningful self-expression and recognition, is prone to restlessness, frustration and bitterness. And, truth be told, self-expression is difficult and full self-expression is impossible.

Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI

In the end, for most of us, our lives are always smaller than our needs and our dreams, no matter where we live or what we accomplish. In our daydreams each of us would like to be famous, the renowned writer, the graceful ballerina, the admired athlete, the movie star, the cover girl, the renowned scholar, the Nobel Prize winner, the household name; but in the end, most of us remain just another unknown, living among other unknowns, collecting an occasional autograph.

And so, our lives can seem too small for us. We feel ourselves as extraordinary, forever trapped inside the mundane, even as there is something inside us that still seeks expression, that still seeks recognition, and that feels that something precious inside us is living and dying in futility. In truth, seen only from the perspective of this world, much of what is precious, unique and rich, seemingly is living and dying in futility. Only a rare few achieve satisfying self-expression and recognition.

There’s a certain martyrdom in this. Iris Murdoch once said: “Art has its martyrs, not the least of which are those who have preserved their silence.” Lack of self-expression, whether chosen or imposed by circumstances, is a real death; but like all deaths it can be understood and appropriated in very different ways.

If it is accepted unhappily as tragic, it leads to bitterness and a broken spirit. If, however, it is understood and appropriated in faith as an invitation to be a hidden cell inside the Body of Christ and the human family, to anonymously provide sustenance and health to the overall body, it can lead to restfulness, gratitude and sense of significance that lays the axe to the roots of our frustration, disappointment, depression and bitterness.

I say this because much of what gives us life and sustains us in our lives has not been provided by the rich and famous, the high achievers and those to whom history gives credit. As George Eliot points out, we don’t need to do great things that leave a big mark in human history because “the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs.”

Well said. History bears this out. I think, for instance, of Therese of Lisieux who lived out her life in obscurity in a little convent tucked away in rural France, who when she died at age 24, was probably known by fewer than 100 people. In terms of how we assess things in this world she accomplished very little, nothing in terms of outstanding achievement or visible contribution. She entered the convent at age fifteen and spent the years until her early death doing menial things in the laundry, kitchen and garden inside her obscure convent. The only tangible possession she left behind was a diary, a personal journal with bad spelling, which told the story of her family, her upbringing and what she experienced during her last months in palliative care as she faced death.

But what she did leave behind is something that has made her a figure who is now renowned around the world, both inside and outside of faith circles. Her little private journal, The Story of a Soul, has touched millions of lives, despite its bad spelling (which had to be corrected by her sisters after her death).

What gives her little journal its unique power to touch hearts is that it chronicles what was happening inside the privacy of her own soul during all those years when she was hidden away and unknown, as child and as a nun. What she records in the story of her soul is that she, fully aware of her own uniqueness and preciousness, could unbegrudgingly give that all over in faith because she trusted that her gifts and talents were working silently (and powerfully) inside a mystical (though real, organic) body, the Body of Christ and of humanity. She understood herself as a cell inside a living body, giving over what was precious and unique inside her for the good of the world.

Anonymity offers us this invitation. There is no greater work of art that one can give to the world.
Jesus said as much. He told us to do our good deeds in secret and not let our left hand (and our neighbors and the world) know what our right hand is doing.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)

Washington’s new archbishop seeks to ‘know and understand this magnificent community of faith’

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By Richard Szczepanowski
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Hours after Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego was announced Jan. 6 as the new archbishop of Washington, the prelate praised his new archdiocese as “truly sacramental in the rich diversity of its traditions and perspectives.”

He also pledged to “show reverence for the grace of God which is already present in your midst and in the commitment to discipleship that underlies this local church.”

“I come as your bishop seeking to know and understand this magnificent community of faith,” Cardinal McElroy said. “As your pastor, an essential element of my mission is to encounter the hearts and the souls of the disciples who form our local church.”

In a virtual news conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, Cardinal McElroy addressed his new flock via the Archdiocese of Washington’s YouTube channel because a major snowstorm shut down the city.

Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory and Cardinal Robert W. McElroy leave a Jan. 6, 2025, news conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. That morning, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Gregory, Washington’s archbishop since 2019, and named Cardinal McElroy of San Diego as his successor. As required by canon law, Cardinal Gregory submitted his resignation to the pope two years ago after he turned 75 on Dec. 7, 2022. (OSV News photo/Geoffrey Ros, Archdiocese of Washington)

“I want to give thanks to God for the grace-filled life of this local church and to Our Holy Father, Pope Francis who today makes me a member of that church,” Cardinal McElroy said.

Early Jan. 6, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, Washington’s archbishop since 2019, and named the San Diego prelate as his successor. As required by church law, Cardinal Gregory had submitted his resignation to the pope when he turned 75, which was two years ago, on Dec. 7, 2022.

The new archbishop of Washington said he has embraced Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality and its call for the faithful to “build up a church centered in the Eucharist and devoted to the Word of God and the sacraments which sustain us.”

“Synodality calls us to walk humbly as a church, acknowledging our faults and sinfulness, and seeking forgiveness,” said Cardinal McElroy, who is 70. “It seeks the participation of every disciple in the church’s journey in this earthly pilgrimage, and is oriented toward the building of unity in society rooted in God’s justice, which cares especially for the unborn, the poor, the marginalized and the dispossessed.”

He said that in the Archdiocese of Washington, “for the past 85 years, the Catholic community has radiated the light of Christ throughout the District of Columbia and the surrounding five counties in Maryland.”

The archdiocese is home to more than 671,000 Catholics in D.C. and Maryland’s Montgomery, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties.

Cardinal McElroy praised the archdiocese for its “rich parish communities of faith” and its “path-breaking development of lay ministries and apostolates, and the nurturing in lay leadership in the church that is genuinely participative and inclusive.”

The people of his new archdiocese, the cardinal said, are “men and women who form the people of God, struggling in a world filled with turbulence, hardship and illusion, to follow the pathway of Jesus Christ … (and are) called to be both dispensers and receivers of mercy and forgiveness.”

He noted that the Archdiocese of Washington has experienced “mountain-top moments” such as the visits of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis and has endured “moments of failure and shame,” including reports of the sexual abuse of minors.

“In this mixture of the mountain top and failure, we are no different from the first disciples of the Lord,” Cardinal McElroy said. “It is to this community on the journey of faith that the Holy Father has called me to be bishop and pastor.”

Cardinal McElroy said Cardinal Gregory – appointed by Pope Francis in 2019 as the seventh archbishop of Washington and elevated to the College of Cardinals the following year – displayed “courage, a deeply pastoral heart and abiding faith in God and the dignity of the human person” as he “made critically important contributions at crucial moments in order to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the heart and the soul of the Catholic community here in Washington.”

At the Jan. 6 conference, Cardinal Gregory said, “As I reflect upon the past nearly six years in this wonderful local church of Washington, my heart is filled predominantly with joy and gratitude for the many blessings, always appreciated but rarely deserved that God has granted me.”

He thanked the priests, auxiliary bishops and the faithful, noting that “we have loved one another, cared for one another, challenged one another to be the Catholic Church Jesus Christ calls us to be.”

Cardinal Gregory said that he plans to remain in Washington after his retirement and serve where needed.

(Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

In memoriam: Father John J. Kelly

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BILOXI – Father John J. Kelly, 88, of Biloxi, peacefully passed away on Dec. 29, 2024, following a brief illness. A devoted servant of the Catholic Church, Father Kelly dedicated his life to faith, family and fostering connections between his beloved Ireland and the United States.

Born on June 23, 1936, at Falnashamer House in Ballintogher, County Sligo, Ireland, Father Kelly faced an early tragedy with the passing of his parents when he was just seven months old. He and his six siblings were lovingly raised by their aunt, Eleanor Jane Meehan.

Father Kelly pursued his vocation at Summerhill College in Sligo, and St. Patrick’s College Carlow, Ireland culminating in his ordination on June 6, 1964, at Carlow Cathedral. Soon after, he traveled to the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson, where he ministered in parishes across Biloxi, Laurel, Bay Saint Louis, Indianola, Gulfport, Lakeshore and Clermont Harbor. Throughout his long career, he profoundly enriched the spiritual lives of his parishioners.

Father Kelly’s faith was equaled only by his deep love for family. He is survived by his sisters, Tilda Mahon, Phyllis McGrory and Doreen Murray. His legacy of love and devotion lives on through his numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Always present in their lives, Father Kelly celebrated countless family milestones, including baptisms, communions, confirmations, weddings and funerals.

A man of two worlds, Father Kelly cherished his Irish roots and American home. He frequently visited Ireland, spending many holidays, reconnecting with family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Timothy Kelly and Mary Elizabeth Kelly (nee Meehan); his aunt, Eleanor Jane Meehan; his brothers, Christopher (Chris) and Timothy Alphonsus (Alfie); and his sister, Rosemary.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Biloxi, with burial at the Old Biloxi Cemetery. There will be a separate service in Ireland for family and loved ones at a future date.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Priest Retirement Fund, 2090 Pass Road, Biloxi, MS 39531, or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Sligo, Ireland.