, 1907-10-28
A PIONEER
IN CHURCH
VENERABLE PRIEST WHO DIE
MUCH TO HELP WESTERN
PARISHES is DEAD.
Father William Kelly Whose Territory
in Early Days Extended from oma-
ha I o Laramie and Who in His
Time Founded no Less Than Dozen
Catholic Churches in the West.

The venerable and venerated Father
William Kelly. who died at Omaha
last Wednesday at the age of 81 years,
was one of that band OF pioneer Cain
Ollie missionaries whose labors in the
west have done so much for the pro
gress and elevation of the people.
Father William Kelly was born in
1920 in the parish of Tullyhern, New
ry, Ireland. His classical education
was received in the private school IN
Dublin, while his theological and phil
osophical education was u l
the Cape Girardeau, Mo-, seminary.
For almost two years after Father
Kelley left school he solicited funds lor
All Hallows college, Ireland, both IN
Europe and the United States. When
he came to this country, in 1856, he
entered the Cape Girardeau college
and in 1857 was adopted by Bishop
Baraga of Marquette. On the advice
of a Jesuit priest, Father Kelly came
to the west, and on June %, 1853, was
ordained by Right Rev. James O'Gor
lIdh anu dl OlIC , poi5hSu " eHN Pc
ish of st. Mary's, Omaha.
Was Church Builder.
Almost three years later Father kel
ley was sen to st. Johns parish
now st. Patrick's parish, at jackson
Nebraska, and was one of the stron&
workers under Bishop O'Gorman. b.
sides assisting in building up the grea
parish at Jackson, Neb, Father Kelly
built the first Catholic church at Co
lumbus, Neb., and in 1864 went to 81
Louis to collect funds for the Sister:
of Mercy. Returning from st. Louis
he was sent to Rulo, Neb., to build
church. With his usual determinatio;
the parish was organized and the funds
raised for the first church in tina
town.
Was Sent to Wyoming.
When it became evident that Oman;
was to be the permanent home of
diocese at some future date, Fathe
Kelly was sent east to collect fund.-
and returned to Omaha in 1867, onl.
to be sem across the prairies of Ne
braska into Wyoming, where he wa
told to build a church at Cheyenne
True to his trust, Father Kelly work
ed hard and lived in the widest sci
Element of the west, until the frs
church of Cheyenne, was erected. HI
reward came when Bishop O'Gormnl
asked the faithful priest to accompan.
him to Rome, where they attended tn
Ecumenical council.
AS Far West as Laramie.
Almost from the foundation OF tn
Catholic church west of the Missouri
river, to the present time, a perio'
of ifty-one years, Father Kelly ha
been identified with it's development,
to an eminent degree he was a mis-
sionary church builder, a pioneer prizes
who survived all his contemporaries
His territory in the early days en-
braced a large section of western lowe
all of Nebraska, as far west as Lara
mic, and as far north as Fort Randall
HE traversed this territory many times
m%inistering to the spiritual needs @
catholics in scattered settlements
|cheering and consoling the pioneer
whose hardships he shared and bui'c
ing churches where sufficient supper
could be had.
Dozen Pioneer Churches.
At least a dozen pioneer churchc
were reared in while or in part by hi
labors, the chief of which was st. Phi
omena's cathedral, recently abandone
and the site sold for commercial uses
In this cathedral and residence Fathe
Kelly has lived a quarter of a centur!
sometimes as pastor, mostly as assis
tant. For the last fifteen years he ha
no active assignment, living thfoug
the sunset of life as a retired Cathoh
priest. a loved ~favorite of his younge
associates, honored and reverenced b
all who knew him. He entered tn
~priesthoor at the advanced of 3.
and labored in the vineyard for forty
eight years. His death sewers the las
link connecting the pioneer churcl
with the church ~of'today.
Best Liniment on Earth.