Fr. Kelly Leads from the Front

The expression “leading from the front” originates from a highly-decorated WWII Veteran, Audie Murphy, who won the Medal of Honor for acts of heroism, single-handedly holding off a German company and leading a counter-offensive while wounded and out of ammunition — all at the age of nineteen.

A person who leads from the back is one who gives orders and encourages others to perform toward some common goal but does not themselves “get their hands dirty” or model the desired behavior.

The opposite style of leadership that “leads from the front” is demonstrated in individuals who do not simply encourage others to perform while observing and offering correction. Someone who leads from the front takes up the challenge facing those he commands and models the appropriate behavior until the job is done.

Pastor and Teacher

Fr. Joseph Kelly, Pastor of Guardian Angel in Oran and St. Ambrose in Chaffee, definitely leads from the front. Since his appointment as pastor in 2020, Fr. Kelly has demonstrated a style of leadership and service not often found in our church. Instead of asking a parishioner to teach, he teaches first. Instead of asking his parishioners to entertain, he picks up a guitar. Instead of asking someone to pray, he leads them in prayer. And the excitement that this style of priestly leadership generates is contagious - his parishioners feel empowered to teach, serve, entertain, and pray with him.

For the past 2 years, on Tuesday nights August through May in the Knights of Columbus Hall at Oran, Fr. Kelly has taught RCIA for individuals seeking to join the Church. While occasionally having a guest speaker, the large majority of the classes are taught by Fr. Kelly. A group of parishioners bring snacks and drinks, and together the people learn about the basics of our faith.

The classes have averages a size of 40-60 people, candidates and sponsors together. This past Easter, Guardian Angel and St. Ambrose have welcomed more individuals into the Holy Catholic Church than any other parish in our region. Given the relative size of the parishes in Oran and Chaffee this is quite an achievement.

Fr. Kelly’s 2022 RCIA class at both parishes

In addition to RCIA, Fr. Kelly has begun to offer ‘Summer Catechesis Classes’ in the school gym at St. Ambrose in Chaffee on Wednesday nights. The first series of courses was on “Exorcism and Demonology,’ introducing parishioners to the biblical and theological truths of angelic spirits and encouraging everyone in the reality of spiritual warfare and the fight against temptation. After the resounding success of the first series, with an average of 200 in attendance, parishioners wanted to continue and so Fr. Kelly began a second series on ‘Mariology,’ the study of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and her role in salvation and our spiritual lives.

When asked what he will teach next, Fr. Kelly suggests that next summer’s topics could include  Vatican II, The Mass, and the study of St. Joseph.

Summer Catechesis Class at St. Ambrose School Gym

School Leadership

Burying the Alleluia at St. Ambrose School

The school gym at Chaffee is not only full of adults on summer nights, but as the school year approaches St. Ambrose is slated to have its Pre-K3 through 8th grade enrollment of some 83 students from around the area.

Laura Enderle, the principal at St. Ambrose, had this to say about Fr. Kelly’s leadership of the school and his interaction with the students:

“Father Kelly has been a visible, spiritual presence in the school for the last three years he has been at St. Ambrose. He takes the time to teach each week to every class about their faith, as well as provide opportunities for both boys and girls to explore the vocations of priesthood and religious life, respectively.”

She goes on:

“St. Ambrose is blessed to have Father Kelly as the spiritual leader in our school and parish. He always has his students, faculty, and parishioners' souls at the forefront of his mind and makes his leadership choices based on Jesus Christ and how to help us get to Heaven. He provides us an abundance of spiritual opportunities to grow in our relationship with Christ and is a true shepherd of his flock to assist us in becoming Saints!”

Every school year begins with a Eucharistic Procession, which is highly fitting given the Eucharistic Revival now taking place in the United States.

Fr. Kelly had this to say about the centrality of the Eucharist:

“As the Second Vatican Council so beautifully said, the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Over the last several decades, the belief in this Divine ‘source and summit’ has become abysmal and we must put a greater focus on the Eucharist through catechesis, more opportunities for Adoration and Eucharistic processions, and a greater emphasis on the Eucharist during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  The Eucharist is everything because It is Jesus Himself–and we must do what we can to help people deepen their belief and love for Christ in the Eucharist.”

Outside of the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the devotional life at the schools and parishes is flourishing. Two years ago, for the first time, the students at both schools participated in the tradition of “Burying the Alleluia,” in which an object displaying the word “Alleluia,” which we omit from our worship in Lent in recognition of the solemnity of the season, is buried on the church grounds to mark the beginning of Lent. These kinds of practices make the faith, and what we celebrate in the liturgical calendar, real and tangible for the students. This is how Catholicism gets in your bones.

Man in Black

But the “vibe” at Guardian Angel and St. Ambrose isn’t all solemn and somber. The joy of Easter is palpable as well. The most-requested band to play parish events all over the region, in Oran, Chaffee, and even Jackson and Cape Girardeau, is “The Father Kelly Band.”

The Fr. Kelly Band at the St. John Henry Newman Center Dollar Dinner

The band is made up of parishioners from Guardian Angel and St. Ambrose, as well as other Catholics in the area: Rodney Eftink (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Steven LeGrand (guitar), Geri LeGrand (ukulele and vocals), John Litzfelner (bass and vocals), Laura Higgerson (guitar and vocals), Tiff Brey (tambourine and vocals), and Danny Tetley and Kurt Rendleman who trade off as the band’s drummers. Leading the group on guitar and vocals is Fr. Kelly.  Playing a repertoire of classic country, rock, and bluegrass, the band focuses on popular, recognizable songs and songs that have some deeper meaning or express some aspect of our faith. Songs that you can expect to hear are “Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show,” “Black Water  by The Doobie Brothers,” “Taking Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive,” some Dolly Parton, and lots of Johnny Cash. 

Geri LeGrand had this to say about how the band got started and its impact in the local community: 

“The Father Kelly Band started as a relief from the sadness of the Covid isolation. Understanding the importance of people needing each other, Fr. Kelly jumped at the chance to host an outdoor concert bringing joy and laughter to his community that was so suffering. Just the irony of seeing their straight-laced priest jamming to Johnny Cash was an antidote to the psychological and emotional devastation. They saw in his joy a testimony to his belief in the Living God.”

Fr. Kelly riding on horseback

Since its inception, the members of the band have put themselves at the service of the wider community (as much as they can as volunteers). The Fr. Kelly Band just finished performing at the “Mississippi Mingle” for Catholic Charities in Cape Girardeau on August 12th. They are also slated to help the St. John Henry Newman Center with entertainment for their “Block Party” on August 19th to welcome students back to campus at Southeast Missouri State University. All are welcome to attend.

While all of these devotional prayers, classes, and entertainment might seem like a lot - in addition to all the normal duties of a priest - Fr. Kelly wouldn’t say yes to doing these things if it wasn’t for a reason.

The truth is that he has built up an enormous amount of trust with his parishioners that is leading to a deepening of their spiritual lives. One of the signal achievements of his tenure at Guardian Angel and St. Ambrose is the men’s group that meets on Saturday mornings at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Oran. The group has grown significantly since they started and now men from Cape Girardeau and Jackson will drive down on Saturday mornings to share in fellowship and prayer. The usual routine is gathering and prayer, then a delicious breakfast, and then a time of faith formation and catechesis.  It is simple but effective and Fr. Kelly often leads the group in prayer and discussion.

Fr. Kelly blessing of tractors

The style of leading from the front can often feel like it is missing in our contemporary church environment. At many parishes, lay members of the parish lead almost every activity of the parish — teaching, serving, and ministering to the parishioners. These contributions are invaluable and most lay people are eager to get involved and serve the church. But often they can feel ill-equipped, unsupported, and without direction. The style of priestly service Fr. Kelly exemplifies, however, stands out in contrast. By leading from the front, I think Fr. Kelly offers a new model for how a parish can truly flourish.

To lead from the front takes a lot of courage. To quote Audie Murphy again, “I’ll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just the determination to do a job that you know has to be done.” Leading the people of a parish to salvation is a job that has to be done and Fr. Kelly has the determination to do that job.

Here at The Rubric, we believe it is important to praise what deserves to be praised. Our priests deserve our support and affection. And though he would probably be uncomfortable with everything we have said, we are beyond glad to have Fr. Kelly in southeast Missouri and will continue to highlight his good work.