Rev. Msgr. Francis H. Kelley, 84, died peacefully on Wednesday, February 4, surrounded by loved ones and some of his closest priest friends at Regina Cleri, the Archdiocese of Boston’s residence for senior priests. His family extends its thanks to the nursing staff, members of the hospice team, and clergy at Regina Cleri who cared for him during his final illness. Known as Frank to his close friends, Msgr. Kelley was born on September 9, 1941, in Boston to the late Francis and Margaret Kelley. He grew up in Canton and attended Boston College High School. He was a member of the College of the Holy Cross, Class of 1963, studied at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, and later earned an M.A. in Pastoral Theology from the University of Notre Dame . Msgr. Kelley was ordained a deacon on June 5, 1967, at Saint Theresa Church in West Roxbury and subsequently ordained a priest on May 29, 1968, by Richard Cardinal Cushing at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. He was a deacon at Our Lady of the Angels in Roxbury from 1967-68 and served at St. Ambrose parish in Dorchester from 1968-1976 and St. John the Baptist in Peabody from 1976-1983. Subsequently, he was co-pastor of St. Boniface in Quincy from 1983-1991 and then Pastor of Sacred Heart in Roslindale from 1991- 2020. Pope John Paul II named him a Monsignor in 1998. Following his retirement, he served as resident chaplain at Regina Cleri and celebrated Mass and heard confessions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Voyage in Boston. He also mentored seminarians which was a labor of love to him. Msgr. Kelley’s compassionate commitment to the least among us as well as his successful efforts at building community throughout his ministry is legendary. He was especially devoted to the homeless. He was a founding member of Pine Street Inn, New England's largest organization providing emergency shelter, street outreach, job training, and permanent housing to the destitute. He was devoted to various leadership roles in the organization for nearly 60 years, having served on its board of directors, including a period as chairman. Through his efforts at Pine Street, thousands of people who otherwise would have been homeless were provided with shelter or housing. The group’s current president described him as the organization’s “North Star” for all these years. Msgr. Kelley’s activism as a priest also included membership in the Association of Boston Urban Priests and in the development of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Henry L. Shattuck City Champion Award, an accolade bestowed by the Boston Municipal Research Bureau on individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary public service in Boston. Passionate about flyfishing, he also enjoyed engaging in convivial conversation with relatives, friends, and neighbors at his home in East Sandwich. In addition, Msgr. Kelley was an avid reader with eclectic tastes, including mysteries and various types of nonfiction and was an aficionado of classical music, especially Mozart. An opera buff, his trips to the Met were frequent. He is survived by 24 loving first cousins and numerous second cousins. His legacy, which he exemplified throughout his life, was for all to take care of each other. Like St. Paul, he fought the good fight, he finished the race, he kept the faith. Msgr. Kelley will Lie in State at Sacred Heart Church, 169 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, on Friday February 13, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Relatives, friends, and former parishioners are invited to attend. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Richard Henning on Saturday, February 14, in Sacred Heart’s upper church at 11:00 a.m. The Mass will be live-streamed. Interment will take place at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Centerville at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Msgr. Kelley’s memory to The Pine St. Inn, 444 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118.

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