James J. S.J. Kelly

Additional Information

Father James J. Kelly, S.J., was born in County Clare, Ireland on December 24th, 1906. In 1930, he entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Milford, Ohio, where he began his studies. After graduating from college, he joined the St. Xavier High School faculty in Cincinnati. He returned to Ireland in 1937 to begin his theological studies. Ordained in 1940, he became a member of the Army Air forces in World War II. He was chaplain for more than 15 years, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. In the decades following the army, Father Kelly was an associate pastor in various churches, including ones in Fort Myers, Florida, and the St. Philip the Apostle Church in Northfield. In 1993, Father Kelly came to Chicago and provided spiritual direction to the Jesuit community at Loyola University. After years of illness, Father Kelly passed away in 1996.