Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-10-24
Dean Of Catholic Priests Passes Away
at Convent of Mercy.
E1GHTY.sEvEN YEARS OF AGE
Funeral Services VIII he Held at st.
Patriclx's Friday Morning,
with Burial at Holy
sepulcher.

and last Friday a slight cold which he
had contracted before moving grew worse
Friday night alarming symptoms showed
themselves and the last sacTaments were
administered by Father Smith, attended by
Father Gleason, Father McGovern, Mgr
Coloner and Father Jennette He grad
ually grew worse until Wednesday morning.
when he showed signs of sinking, and
Father Smith administered the last COM
munion Wednesday afternoon, assisted by
Father Gleason. At his bedside when he
died were Father Gleason. Father Ahearne,
Father McGovern and Father Judge and
Mothers Acauin and Leo.
The funeral services will be held at ST.
Pstrick's church Friday at $3.50. with inter-
ment at Holy sepulcher cemetery. His
body will lie in state Thursday noon at st.
Patrick's church.
Father william Kelly was born in
1890 in the parish of Tullyhern, Newry,
ireland. His classical education was
received in the private school in Dub
lin, while his theological and philosophical
education was secured in the Cape Girar-
deau. Mo. seminary. For almost two years
after Father Kelly left school he solicited
funds for All Halows college, Ireland both
in Europe and the United States. When he
came to this country. in 1855. he entered
the Cape Girardeau college and in 1861 was
adopted by Bishop Baraga Of Marquette.
on the advice of a Jesuit priest Father
Kelly came to the west. and on June %,
1889, was ordained by Right Rev. James
O'Gorman and at once assigned to the
parish OF st. Mary's, Omaha.
sent 60 st. Johns Parrish,
Almost three years later Father Kelly
was sent to St Johns parish. now st.
Patricks parish, at jackson, Neb. In sue
ceeding years Father Kelly had charge OF
several missions all through the vicarate
of Nebraska, and was one of the strong
workers under Bishop O'Gorman. Besides
assisting In building up the great parish at
jackson, Neb., Father Kelly built the
first Catholic church at Columbus, Neb,.
and I'm 1864 went TO St. Louis TO collect funds
for the Sisters Of Mercy. Returning from
st. Louis. he was sent to Rulo Neb.. TO
build a church. with his usual determine
tIon the parish was organized and the funds
raised for the first church in that town.
When 1t became evident that Omaha was
to be the permanent home Of a diocese at
some future dste, Father Kelly was sent
east to collect funds and returned TO Omaha
in 1861, only TO he sent across the, praigtes
OF Nebraska into Wyoming. where he was
told to build a church at Cheyenne.
True to his trust, Father Kelly worked
hard and lived in the widest settlement of
the west until the first church OF Cheyenne,
now the home of the bishop OF Cheyenne.
was erected. His reward came when
Bishop O'Gorman asked tho faithful priest
to accompany him to Rome. where they
attended the Ecumenical council.
Returning from Europe, Father Kelly
went to Lincoln, where he spent two years,
returning to Omaha in 1873. After that he
spent his time in the east on a collecting
tour until the death of his bishop in 1874,
when he returned 10 assist Bishop OCon-
nor in parish work and was appointed rec
tor OF the cathedral by the bishop. Faith
full service in this position earned for
Father Kelly the vicar generalship of the
diocese. Since that time Father Kelley has
been at the cathedral residence and was
appointed consulter by Right Rev. Richard
scanneil, bishop OF Omaha.
! When the last masses were said in St.
Philomena's cathedral two weeks ago
Father Kelly. who usually celebrated the
early morning mass, said one Of them. hav-
ing known the church and cathedral for
more than forty years.
Pioneer Church Builder.
Almost from the foundation of the Cath
Ollie church west OF the Missouri river. to
the present time, period of fifty-one years.
Father Kelly has been identified with its
development. To an eminent degree he was
a missionary church builder. a pioneer
priest who survived all his contemporaries.
His territory in the early days embraced
a large section of western Iowa, all of Me-
braska, as far west as Laramie and as far
north as Fort Randall He traversed this
territory many times, ministering TO the
spiritual needs OF Catholics in scattered
settlements cheering and consoling the pio-
neers whose hardships he shared and build
ing churches where sufficient support could
be had. At least a dozen pioneer churches
were reared in whole or In part by his la
bors, the chief of which was St. Philome-
mas cathedral. recently abandoned and the
site sold for commercial uses. In this ca
thedraI and residence Father Kelly has
lived a quarter of a century sometimes as
pastor, mostly as assistant For the last
fifteen years he had no active assignment.
living through the sunset OF life as a re-
tired Catholic priest, a loved favorite OF his
younger associates, honored and reverenced
by all who knew him. He entered the priest
hood at the advanced age OF 80. and labored
In the vineyard for forty-eight years. His
death sewers the last link connecting the
pioneer church with the church OF today.
Funeral Services.
Arrangements for the funeral of Rev.
William Kelley and the preceding services
are officially announced as follows:
At Mount 81. Mary's convent. Fifteenth
and CASTELAR, streets. $3.50 a. m. Thursday.
chant OF the office for the dead, followed
by solemn high mass at 10 a. m. Rev. ]. J..
Jennette celebrant: Rev. p. A. MoGovern.
deacon: Rev. d. w. Moriarity. subdeaoon
Rev. J. w. Stenson, master OF ceremonies.
The joint ehoirs OF st. Patricks and St.
Philomena's churches will render the music
OF the mass under the direction OF Father
Gleason
At $50 p. m. the body will be removed to
stN Patrick's church, where remains will
lie in state till 10 p. m, guarded by young
men mostly baptized by Father Kelley
while In the city.
Friday morning Requiem High Mass will
be celebrated at St. Fatricis church at 10
a. m. MonsignoT Colaneri will celebrate
mass. Ri Rev. Bishop scannell taking part
with all the priests Of Omaha and South
Omaha and a great many from the outside
In attendance. The active pallbearers will
be the priests OF Omaha. The honorary
palIbearers are p H Carey, J. J. Connor,
]. B. Callahan, Thomas Swift Andrew