Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news At 100 Years Old, This World-Traveling Catholic Priest Continues to Bake Pies, Enjoy Opera, and Hold Daily Mass
  • Local news

At 100 Years Old, This World-Traveling Catholic Priest Continues to Bake Pies, Enjoy Opera, and Hold Daily Mass

    At 100, this globetrotting Catholic priest still bakes pies, enjoys opera and performs daily Mass
    Up next
    Lauren Sanchez stuns as she emerges following Jeff Bezos wedding
    Lauren Sanchez Turns Heads After Jeff Bezos’ Wedding
    Published on 28 June 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • and,
    • bakes,
    • Carlo Acutis,
    • catholic,
    • Daily,
    • enjoys,
    • globetrotting,
    • Joan Sutherland,
    • Kathleen Quigley,
    • Lifestyle,
    • mass,
    • opera,
    • performs,
    • pies,
    • Pope Francis,
    • priest,
    • Religion,
    • still,
    • this,
    • U.S. news
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    BLUE BELL, Pa. – Over his incredible lifetime, Rev. James Kelly has baptized thousands, officiated thousands of marriages, cared for the ill in hospitals, and traveled globally. He became acquainted with an opera luminary and even befriended a saint.

    The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s longest-serving priest celebrated both his 75th ordination anniversary and his 100th birthday. Though grateful for these achievements, he narrowly missed reaching them due to a health scare last year that required critical surgery.

    He feels God gave him some extra time and tries to make each day count.

    “The Lord has been wonderful to me, granting me the health, strength, and energy to travel and experience beautiful surprises,” Kelly states.

    Born on Jan. 7, 1925, in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Roxborough to a devoutly Catholic family, Kelly’s path to the priesthood seems ordained from the start. He loved attending church. Other children dreamt of becoming athletes, doctors, firefighters. He wanted to be a priest.

    “When I was 4 or 5 years old, I’d play Mass,” he says, laughing, as he recalls that his parents were his first congregants. “I always had a little altar in my room, and I’d have a glass, and some flowers in there, and I’d make a vestment, put a scarf on, and have some candy, and give Communion to everybody.”

    Kelly wakes up at dawn to celebrate Mass at the retirement living community that he now calls home. He listens to opera. He bakes pies.

    Memories, parachute jumps and climbing a bridge to save a life

    Sitting in his room, Kelly flips through a photo album detailing his journey. He smiles with every page turn, pointing to black-and-white photos of him as a toddler and milestones as a Catholic — his baptism, confirmation and ordination as a priest.

    “I turned down Hollywood!” he says, laughing as he points to the portrait of a dapper, young priest, his hair slicked and flashing a wide smile.

    He also points to the photo published by a Philadelphia newspaper of the time when he climbed in his Roman collar to the top of a bridge and dissuaded a man from jumping to his death.

    “Nobody would climb there, so I climbed up — it was 400 feet high. It was a bitter cold day,” he says. “I was able to talk to him and break him down emotionally, so he wouldn’t jump. I told him, ‘What’s your grandchild going to say one day: Papa, why didn’t you take me fishing?'”

    He points to other photos of the many ceremonies he proudly led during his 19 years as pastor of Saint Pius X Parish in Broomall, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.

    There are images of him during a vacation in Mexico when he made a parachute jump. Or that one time, when he visited the majestic Iguazu Falls on the border between Argentina and Brazil, which he recalls as one of the most beautiful sights of his life.

    “Everywhere you turned, there was a rainbow, there was a mist … the water gushing forth and spray and the colors,” he says. “It was, as the kids would say, awesome.”

    Imagination, friends and being grateful for the simple pleasures

    Imagination, he says, is one of his favorite words, recalling that he wrote his college thesis on it. “Jesus used his imagination to teach,” he says, in what became an example when he prepared his own sermons.

    He treasures other memories, such as traveling to more than 100 countries and meeting Saint Teresa of Kolkata, also known as Mother Theresa. Kelly says the two became friends over the years after meeting in Philadelphia and running into each other at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The centenarian also shared the time when he took a group of blind children to a live performance of his friend, acclaimed soprano Joan Sutherland.

    “I’ve been fortunate to meet some of the most magnificent, good people in this world, and they’ve been most generous and gracious to me,” Kelly says.

    These days, he enjoys simple pleasures: the taste of cherries, a beautiful song, or his favorite meal — roast chicken with mashed potatoes, fresh string beans, and corn on the cob.

    He loves learning and often attends lectures on music, art history and Egyptology at the Normandy Farms Estates retirement community where he resides in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

    His apartment is decorated with a painting of the Virgin Mary that he drew with chalk, a portrait of his mother, and a note signed by the late Pope Francis.

    On his bedside table, he keeps an image of Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church’s first millennial-era saint. Kelly is inspired by Acutis, who died at 15 in 2006. Especially Acutis’ devotion and how he used his computer skills to create an online exhibit about scores of eucharistic miracles recognized by the church over centuries.

    The ritual of a humble daily Mass and the secret to a long life

    Every morning, he wakes up without the need of an alarm clock and says the same prayer: “Lord, what surprise do you have for me today?”

    “I hope it’ll be a nice one that I’ll love and enjoy. I never know, but I want to thank you for whatever happens today.”

    After a cup of coffee, he celebrates Mass in his apartment for a few residents of his community.

    “When I moved here, I never thought I was going to have a private chapel!” Kathleen Quigley, a retired nurse, quipped after a recent service. “I just love my faith, and he’s such a stronghold of faith that it’s wonderful for me to have. I just come right downstairs, have Mass, we talk, he shares his food.”

    Kelly once ministered to large congregations, but he feels the daily Mass in his living room is as important.

    “It’s not in a beautiful chapel or church. But it’s here that I can offer my love and efforts to the Heavenly Father,” he says. After the final prayer, he always remembers to be grateful.

    “That’s all I can say — two words: thank you. It’s wonderful that I have another day, and I might be able to eat some delicious cherries today, and meet people, new friends,” he says. “God knows what surprises I’ll encounter today.”

    His secret to longevity?

    “I drink lots of milk,” he says, laughing. “And I say lots of prayers.”

    __

    Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump’s efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment
    • Local news

    Local Leaders and Medical Associations File Lawsuit Against Trump’s Move to Limit Obamacare Enrollment

    WASHINGTON – Democratic mayors nationwide are legally contesting new Trump administration regulations…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    Savannah Tech now offering high school diplomas to adult learners
    • Local news

    Savannah Tech Introduces High School Diploma Program for Adult Students

    SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Savannah Technical College has earned approval to award…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    Washington Co., Tenn. Board of Education re-instates employee raises during budget meeting
    • Local news

    Washington County, TN School Board Restores Employee Raises in Budget Session

    JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Washington County, Tennessee Board of Education (BOE)…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025

    Deputies Find More Than 100 Malnourished Cats in a U-Haul Van in California

    SANTA NELLA, Calif. (KSEE) A California woman was arrested and faces 93…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    Three in four say democracy facing serious threat: Survey
    • Local news

    Survey Reveals 75% Believe Democracy is Under Significant Threat

    (The Hill) – Three-quarters of U.S. adults say the future of democracy…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Three in four say democracy facing serious threat: Survey
    • Local news

    Survey Reveals 75% Believe Democracy is Under Serious Threat

    (The Hill) – Three-quarters of U.S. adults say the future of democracy…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    Officials report average eagle nesting season in coastal Georgia, nearly 200 eaglets fledged statewide
    • Local news

    State Officials Announce Typical Eagle Nesting Season in Coastal Georgia with Almost 200 Eaglets Taking Flight

    SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Coastal Georgia saw a 73% eagle nest success…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    A basketball fan's dream vacation: Michael Jordan's one-time Chicago mansion listed on Airbnb
    • Local news

    Dream Vacation for Basketball Fans: Rent Michael Jordan’s Former Chicago Mansion on Airbnb

    A mansion in the Chicago area, once owned by legendary NBA player…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    'Scammers are doing their homework' | Carter Co. Sheriff warns of rise in phone scams
    • Local news

    “Scammers Are Getting Smarter: Carter County Sheriff Alerts on Increasing Phone Fraud”

    CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Carter County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    Trump unveils $249 'Trump Fragrances'
    • Local news

    Trump Launches Luxury Fragrance Line for $249

    (The Hill) — President Donald Trump launched a new business venture on…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    Fears over serial cat poisoner spike after 13 dead felines
    • Local news

    Concerns Rise About Serial Cat Poisoner After 13 Cats Found Dead

    WAIKIKI (KHON2) — A disturbing string of cat poisonings in Waikiki has…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Trump administration sues Los Angeles over 'sanctuary city' laws
    • Local news

    Trump Administration Takes Legal Action Against Los Angeles Due to Sanctuary City Laws

    () The Justice Department has sued the city of Los Angeles, Mayor…
    • Internewscast
    • July 1, 2025
    Ukraine looks to jointly produce weapons with allies, while US halts some shipments
    • Local news

    Ukraine Seeks Joint Weapon Production with Allies Amid US Shipment Delays

    KYIV – Ukraine is moving forward with early plans to co-produce weapons…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Daughter of assassinated civil rights leader sees painful echoes of political violence in America
    • US

    Daughter of Slain Civil Rights Leader Recognizes Troubling Patterns of Political Violence in the US

    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Over six decades have passed since a white…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Florida GOP sells 'Alligator Alcatraz' merchandise ahead of Trump visit
    • Local news

    Florida GOP Launches ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Merchandise Ahead of Trump’s Visit

    (The Hill) — The Florida Republican Party was selling merchandise touting the…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Bryan Kohberger could escape death penalty because of leaked evidence aired during TV episode: fmr prosecutor
    • US

    Bryan Kohberger anticipated to enter guilty plea: what happens next

    Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho murders case, is anticipated to…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.