February 23, 2011

A Mass of Christian Burial for Glenmary Brother Thomas Kelly was celebrated Feb. 23 at St. Matthias the Apostle Church in Cincinnati. Brother Tom, 81, died Feb. 13 at Mercy Franciscan Terrace.

A native of Sidney, Brother Tom entered the Glenmary Home Missioners in 1948 and made his first oath in 1950. He was one of the first brothers to take the Glenmary oath. During his years in ministry, he served at six Glenmary missions in five states, including West Union, Ohio, for six years. He also served at the order’s house of formation and as head of Glenmary’s print shop in Cincinnati. In 1976 he became the first volunteer for Glenmary’s Backroads Ministry, begun by Glenmary to serve the “poorest of the poor” in rural Georgia.

Brother Tom spent seven years working locally at Glenmary headquarters and then served for seven years at a mission in Alabama before receiving senior member status in 1998. In retirement he lived near the Vanceburg, Ky., mission and continued working as long as he was able. He returned to the Glenmary residence in Cincinnati in 2002.

Brother Tom is survived by his brothers, Glenmary Father James Kelly and Jerome.

Interment was in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Montgomery.