Looking out for those in need in his parish and in the community is a quality that Father Michael Kelley, the longtime pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Washington, D.C., is known for, Cardinal Wilton Gregory said at a Sept. 25 Mass where the priest was honored for his 30 years leading the parish. Also at that Mass, Deacon Bobby White of St. Martin’s was honored for the 25th anniversary of his ordination.
In his homily at the Mass, Cardinal Gregory reflected on the parable of the poor man Lazarus in that day’s Gospel reading, noting that Father Kelley “has made it his mission to check for Lazarus both in the confines of this parish, but throughout the region. He seeks those who are hungry, naked, and homeless to make sure they are not forgotten or alone.”
During the Mass, the congregation celebrated Father Kelley’s 30th anniversary of serving as their pastor, where he has served a majority of his 47 years as a priest in The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
For many St. Martin’s parishioners, the parish has been a part of their life for as long as they can remember. Even when some members leave for a number of years, they seem to come back.
When asked how long he has been a parishioner, Sonny Snowden, waiting before the Mass, responded, “A long time.” A native Washingtonian, he was effusive in praise of his pastor, Father Kelley. “He’s the same person as he is on the altar,” Snowden said of the priest.
Octavia Jackson, attending Mass with her husband of 32 years, Kevin Jackson, said she appreciates Father Kelley’s support of parish activities. Raised in the parish and married at St. Martin’s, she praised the pastor’s advocacy of community outreach, noting that the number of families who came to the parish’s weekly food drive increased during the COVID-19 pandemic from about 30 families to 50 families.
“Father Kelley is a pastor of the people,” said Jackson, who helps direct the Ladies of Charity at the parish.
In addition to paying tribute to the pastor, Cardinal Gregory also praised Deacon Bobby White, who has been working with Father Kelley at St. Martin’s for 25 years.
During his homily at the Mass, Cardinal Gregory recalled his first priestly assignment in Chicago, where he was assigned to a suburban parish that he described as being “very upper class.” One day, a homeless man came to the rectory door and asked for assistance. The young cleric asked the man to sweep out the garage floor and wash it with a hose. In return, the-then Father Gregory made him a sandwich and gave the man $10.
“If that was the Lord, how would he judge me by the way that I treated him?” Cardinal Gregory recalls praying that evening. “Lazarus lives in our cities and in our communities. Lazarus has not been made socially welcome in all these many centuries.”
Cardinal Gregory confessed that sometimes he has wanted to ignore the homeless when they have crossed his path. “And when I ignore them, others who are not priests or clergy or perhaps even believers, may feel more comfortable in doing the same, having been absolved from their indifference by my observable disinterest.”
St. Martin’s hosts weekly Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. The Ladies of Charity at the parish even gathered 1,000 kits of essential items for Afghan refugees.
After Communion, the parish’s Sodality and Ladies of Charity presented Father Kelley with certificates and plaques commemorating his 30-year anniversary with St. Martin of Tours and likewise honored Deacon White for his 25th anniversary.
Although masks were mandatory at Mass, St. Martin’s had very strong participation in the Mass, including from parishioners and visitors singing along to hymns. No parishioners seemed to need a missalette, since they appeared to know the hymns from heart.
