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Year for Priests: Reflecting on vocation, ministry

Name: Father Paul J. Kelly

Birth date: Jan. 24, 1955

Hometown: Sioux Rapids, Iowa

Education: Industrial Administration from Iowa State University 1977, M.A. St. Paul Seminary 1983

Ordination: May 28, 1983

Current assignment: Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Denison and St. Ann Vail

Hobbies/Interest: Tennis, playing the trumpet, traveling, and studying the Spanish language.
Describe your call to priesthood.

My first serious consideration of the priesthood came during my college years. I worked for Deere and Company after college, and the thought of priesthood persisted, so I entered the seminary to discern my vocation.

Did anyone or anything provide you with inspiration to follow the call to priesthood?
Father James Supple from ISU used to mention vocations from time to time in his homilies. Father Gerald Zeman encouraged me to go to the seminary when I was in high school, but I had no interest then.

Was it a difficult decision to make? The difficult part for me was quitting my job because I wasn’t sure I was making the right decision. However, once I entered the seminary, I felt at peace with the decision.

What do you enjoy most about being a priest? I enjoy celebrating the sacraments, helping people to connect
faith to their lives, and having the opportunities to establish so many friendships with people.

Are there any devotions or prayers that are dear to my heart? I enjoy reading about the lives of the saints, and when possible to visit their shrines when I travel. Two of my favorites are St. Camillus de Lellis and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Why do you find the priesthood to be a worthy vocation? It is a worthy vocation because it focuses on life’s fundamental questions, for example Who is God? and What is the purpose of life?

What would you say to a young man considering a vocation to the priesthood? Don’t be afraid to do what it takes to discern your vocation. You don’t want to grow old wondering if you made the right decisions in life.