Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 31 janvier 1905 à Timoleague dans le diocèse de Ross, Irlande membre de la SMA le 17 juillet 1924 prêtre le 10 juin 1928 décédé le 19 mars 1975

1926-1936 missionnaire en Côte de l’Or, enseignement 1936-1940 Wilton, directeur, études supérieures 1942-1948 missionnaire en Côte de l’Or, enseignement 1949 Angleterre, vues pour un District 1950-1952 Kilcogan, directeur 1952-1958 Cork, conseiller provincial 1959-1962 Lagos, secrétaire de l’archevêque 1963-1965 Floride, travail pastoral 1965-1970 Californie, travail pastoral 1970-1975 Blackrock Road, Cork, retiré décédé à Cork, Irlande, le 19 mars 1975, à l'âge de 70 ans

Father Maurice Brendan KELLY (1905 - 1975)

Maurice Kelly was born in Timoleague, Co Cork, in the diocese of Ross, on 3l January 1905. He died in the S.M.A. house at Blackrock Road, Cork, on 19 March 1975.

Maurice was educated at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1918 1919) and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1919 1922), before entering the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. Two years later, on l7th July 1924, he became a member of the Society and went to St. Joseph's seminary, Blackrock Road, for his theological formation. He completed his theological studies at Dromantine, Co Down, to which the seminary was transferred in 1926. Maurice was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 10 June 1928. He was one of a group of nine ordained on that day.

During his 47 years of priesthood Maurice was to reveal remarkable gifts as an educationalist and administrator. He was also to play an important part in the work of formation of students for priesthood. After ordination he was appointed to the Gold Coast (Ghana) mission, sailing for his destination in October 1928. The Gold Coast jurisdiction had been first entrusted to the Society in 1879. A number of Irish missionaries had served there since that time, mainly in the educational apostolate, including James Hennebery who was in charge of education in Elmina (he died in 1885), John Garvey who died in 1896, Michael Wade who died in Saltpond in 1898, Thomas Broderick (later bishop of Western Nigeria), Michael McCaffrey and Tom Hurst. In 1926 the prefecture was handed over to the care of the newly-formed Dutch Province, but Ireland's connection with the mission's educational work remained. On arrival, in October 1928, Maurice was assigned to the Elmina mission to teach in the teacher training college. In January 1930 this college was relocated and opened as St. Augustine's college, at Amisano, near Elmina. Maurice was founder-principal of this institution which was formally opened by the Governor of the Gold Coast colony, Sir Ransford Slater. By 1934 there were some 53 students in the college, with a staff of four missionaries and two indigenous teachers. In May 1936 St. Augustine's was transferred to Cape Coast, and re-opened as a boys secondary college, with a teacher training tier. Again Maurice was founding-principal of this institution which was the first Catholic secondary school in the Gold Coast, and which was subsequently to educate many of Ghana's leaders in Church and State.

Maurice had been involved in the educational apostolate ever since he set foot in the Gold Coast. His lack of a university qualification was an issue he was anxious to address. Hence, after opening the school at Cape Coast, Maurice returned to Ireland in October of the same year to attend U.C.C., leaving behind him Mick Scully (who had a degree) in charge. Maurice took up residence at Wilton, where he served as director of students. He was awarded a B.A. degree in 1938 (one year of the degree course was waived in view of his seminary studies) and two years later he received his higher diploma in education (1940). In February 1942 Maurice was able to secure a passage back to the Gold Coast where he immediately resumed his principalship at St. Augustine's. In 1946 he went to Ireland as delegate of the Gold Coast members to the Provincial Assembly of that year. By August he was on his way back to St. Augustines, remaining there until July 1948, by which time the school had some 236 pupils and the teacher training department 143 students.

In July 1949 Maurice was sent by the Superior General to England to explore possibilities of starting a British Province of the Society. Having accomplished this task, submitting a report to his superiors, he was appointed director of students at Kilcolgan, a post he occupied until the Provincial Assembly of 1952. At that Assembly he was nominated councillor to the Provincial and was later appointed superior of St. Joseph's university hostel, Wilton.

In 1959 Maurice returned to Africa, to the archdiocese of Lagos in south western Nigeria, where he became secretary to Archbishop Leo Taylor. In July 1962 he was invalided home. Although he made an excellent recovery, it was felt that his health would no longer tolerate the rigours of life in the tropics. The following year, he took up pastoral duties in the U.S.A. He worked in Jacksonville, Florida, 1963 1965, and in the archdiocese of San Francisco, 1965 1970. When he reached his seventieth year he retired to the motherhouse of the Irish Province at Blackrock Road. Even in retirement he kept active, serving as delegate of the retired members to the Provincial Assembly of 1973.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.