Rev. Joseph A. Kelly, S.J., touched the hearts of countless individuals during his time at Saint Peter’s University.
His friend of 31 years, Carmel Galasso ’79, said there are “no words to actually describe what Fr. Kelly contributed to Saint Peter’s” because his efforts were endless.
“He established a wonderful spiritual life for the campus community,” she recalled. “He had an open door policy that no student was turned away and offered religious, personal and academic counseling to them. He listened to each story, each hope and dream of the student and befriended many people, faculty, staff and students.”
As the Office of Campus Ministry is scheduled to move into a new suite in the Mac Mahon Student Center, an effort has begun to name the location after Fr. Kelly.
Beginning in 1968, Fr. Kelly counseled a generation of Saint Peter’s students as well as provided retreats, seminars, Masses and workshops. He established the Chaplain’s Office, which is now known as the Office of Campus Ministry. One of Fr. Kelly’s most memorable initiatives was the local Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty (CROP) Hunger Walk. He served as director of campus ministry for more than 20 years before joining the Office of Advancement and External Affairs as a development officer, and was named an honorary alumnus at the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner. He died in 2008.
Joseph R. Gromek ’68 has taken the lead in raising funds for what is being called the Fr. Kelly Challenge.
“Fr. Kelly was instrumental in me returning to Saint Peter’s after being absent for over 25 years,” he recollected. “I was the CEO of Brooks Brothers. Fr. Loughran and Fr. Kelly reached out and invited me over to Guarini House for lunch. The first person I met there was Fr. Kelly. For me that was the beginning of a friendship that lasted more than 15 years.”
Gromek’s generous gift of $200,000 to Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University kicked off the effort to raise the funds needed to secure the naming rights for the new Campus Ministry center. He encourages other graduates to reflect on the impact Fr. Kelly had on their lives. “He should be recognized and remembered for his humanitarian efforts, for his leadership in terms of development for Saint Peter’s and for his passion for Saint Peter’s over the decades.”
Galasso agrees. “It is important for us to remember those who paved the way in the history of the University and who gave of their timeless labor of spiritual and intellectual support to so many now alumni,” she said. “All of us have family history, and the University has a history rich in Jesuit tradition. That history needs to be remembered as we move forward.”
She added, “Fr. Kelly was a man full of charm, intelligence and great Irish wit. He loved Saint Peter’s and would be delighted in university status. He was a humble man and thought that in death he would have been forgotten. This, the Fr. Kelly Challenge, would have left him speechless and that wasn’t easy!”
In addition to Gromek’s generous gift, to date, alumni have contributed an additional $113,185. This means three-fifths of the total goal of $500,000 has already been raised. University officials anticipate that the formal dedication of the campus ministry and community service suite to the memory of Fr. Kelly will be able to take place later this year.
To contribute to the Fr. Kelly Challenge or to see the progress thus far, please visit www.saintpeters.edu/campaign/kellychallenge or contact Claudia Pope-Bayne at (201) 761-6111 or cpopebayne@saintpeters.edu.
