Edward Francis Kelly M.S.C. (1917 - 1994)

Born 22 Mar 1917 in Wellington, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Died 2 Sep 1994 at age 77 in Tugun, Queensland, Australia

Biography

EDWARD FRANCIS KELLY ^[1] (Kelly-15092)

PARENTS. Denis Kelly & Elizabeth Agnes (Colreavy) Kelly

BIRTH. 22 Mar 1917, Wellington, New South Wales, Australia

BIRTH. NSW BDM Birth Reg: #21322/1917

Family name KELLY

Given names EDWARD F

Father DENIS

Mother ELIZABETH A

Place of birth WELLINGTON

DEATH. 2 Sep 1994, Currumbin Hospital, Tugun, Queensland, Australia

BURIAL. Toowoomba Lawn Cemetery, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

OBITUARY. Former Bishop E. Kelly [Mr HEALY (Toowoomba North) (1.32 a.m.)]: This morning I wish to pay tribute to the late former Roman Catholic Bishop of Toowoomba, Bishop Edward Francis Kelly, who died on Friday of last week in retirement at Tugun on the Gold Coast at the age of 77. To say that Bishop Kelly was a great man and a holy advocate of the Catholic faith is an understatement. He was a man who devoted his entire 50 years in the priesthood to service to God and service to his fellow man, particularly the young.

Bishop Kelly, or "Ned Kelly" as he was affectionately known throughout the Diocese, or simply Eddie to his clergy colleagues and to colleagues in other denominations, was Bishop of the Toowoomba Diocese from February 1976, following the death of Bishop William Brennan, until he retired at the age of 75 in 1992, a period of 16 years. He was a much loved leader of 60 000 Roman Catholic parishioners in a diocese which spanned some 300 000 square kilometres, stretching from Helidon in the east to the South Australian border in the west, and north to Taroom.

Edward Kelly was born in the western New South Wales town of Wellington in 1917 and was the ninth of 10 children. His family moved to Sydney in the 1920s and, in 1934, he responded to a long-felt call to the religious life and entered the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart at Douglas Park. He was sent to Rome for further studies in 1938 and returned to Australia with the onset of World War II. In March 1942, he was ordained and continued to work and administer at various levels until 1969, when he was appointed the Auxiliary Bishop to Cardinal Gilroy in the Archdiocese of Sydney. He became a consecrated Bishop in March of that year and served the Western Region parishes of Sydney.

In 1976, the Toowoomba diocese welcomed its new bishop, following his appointment earlier that year, and a new relationship between shepherd and flock was about to begin. The newly appointed Bishop Kelly was quick to learn about his new diocese and travelled extensively throughout south-west Queensland, mostly by car, and became a true friend for not only the clergy in remote areas of Queensland, but to the many parishioners who would welcome him each time he visited. It was on one such trip that he endured a rather serious car accident. He was laid up for some time. It did not stop him and he was back on the road within no time at all.

Apart from his diocesan responsibilities, Bishop Kelly loved his sport, and in particular the sport of golf. At one stage, playing off a handicap of seven, he won many trophies, including clergy championship wins in three States. His other sporting passion was horse racing and he loved, when possible, to go to the Clifford Park Race Course. The annual racing mass on the eve of the Weetwood/Toowoomba Cup racing carnival was something the Bishop encouraged and participated in.

But Bishop Edward Kelly will always be remembered for the legacy he left to the young people of the diocese. He fought for affordable education for all people; he fought to keep fees at Catholic primary and secondary schools as low as possible; he fought for fair Government funding for Catholic education and fair access to school transport for those attending parish schools. One of his greatest victories was to establish a residential college for country students at the University of Southern Queensland. Today, Concannon College, with accommodation for over 100 students, stands as a material tribute to a real man of vision. Bishop Kelly also established, and provided for, a number of media scholarships at the University of Southern Queensland for journalism students. He always promoted responsible journalism and repeatedly championed for fair and balanced reporting.

In April 1993, during retirement, Bishop Kelly returned to Toowoomba to receive a unique and much deserved honour. He became the first person to receive an honorary degree from the University of Southern Queensland—a Doctorate of Letters. This was a fitting tribute to his love for learning and his interest in education. The Bishop was not afraid to speak out, and wrote many letters to editors of newspapers all over the country, encouraging debate on many sensitive issues on which, perhaps, many of his colleagues were reluctant to speak out.

The man who succeeded Bishop Kelly, Bishop William Morris, in his homily at the funeral yesterday said he will be remembered as a man of prayer. Yesterday's funeral and requiem mass and celebration of the life of Bishop Kelly at St Patrick's Cathedral in Toowoomba was a fitting tribute to this man of prayer. My colleagues the member for Toowoomba South and the member for Gregory and I were privileged to be able to join Cardinal Clancy, Archbishop Rush, Archbishop Bathersby, some 16 bishops, more than 90 priests and hundreds of people from the diocese who packed into St Patrick's Cathedral for the service. It was, indeed, a moving experience, and my congratulations go to administrators Father John Maher and Father Tony O'Keefe for their organisation of what must have been a logistical headache.

Finally, our sympathies are extended to the former Bishop's sister Maud and brother Hilary, and to their families. The Diocese of Toowoomba has been fortunate to have been touched by such a great man as Edward Francis Kelly.

Sources

1. ↑ Bishop Edward Francis Kelly, M.S.C.: http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkellyef.html

• Birth: NSW BDM Birth Reg: #21322/1917

• Obituary: Former Bishop E. Kelly: Hansard, Queensland Legislative Assembly, 7 September 1994, pp9408-09: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/1994/940907ha.pdf