Father James Joseph Kelly of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia recently celebrated his Diamond Jubilee Anniversary, marking 75 years in the priesthood! He is the longest serving priest in his archdiocese, having served under seven archbishops and eight popes since he was ordained on May 27, 1950.
Born on January 7, 1925, to a devout Catholic family, James Kelly knew he wanted to be a priest ever since he was a young child.
"I had a table in my room with flowers on it and I would play Mass when I was a little boy," he recently told 6ABC Philadelphia. "Only instead of Holy Communion, I would feed everyone little pieces of candy."
Father Kelly's first assignment was to Holy Savior parish in Norristown, but he spent most of his years serving at St. Pius X in Broomall where he "baptized and married more people than I could ever count -- thousands and thousands of people."
During his many years of ministry he has also traveled to over 100 countries, met Pope John Paul II, and became friends with Mother Teresa.
Earlier this year, Father Kelly suffered a major illness and underwent surgery. He came very close to losing his life, but ended up having a remarkable recovery: "I guess the Lord isn't done with me yet," he told the Associated Press.
He presently resides in a retirement community where he rises at dawn and celebrates Mass every day for his fellow residents.
Fr. Kelly's zest for life and his overflowing joy is obvious and contagious. He reports having spent hours writing each and every homily he ever preached because "Jesus was a great storyteller" and he knew that if he wanted to spread the gospel he had to tell good stories too.
From baking pies, to painting pictures, and listening to opera music, Fr. Kelly still fills his days by doing the things he enjoys most ... and perhaps that's his secret to longevity.
It sure appears that way when he spoke about his vocation to ABC News with a twinkle in his eye: "I love what I did, and I did what I love!"
Watch him with his archbishop here, as he describes his gratitude at having been able to spend an hour with the Eucharist each day throughout his priesthood.
