Knights of Columbus
Monsignor Charles A. Kelly, Jr. Council #14129
Webpage: http://saintmarysknights.org/
General Information
Knights of Columbus Council #14129 "Monsignor Charles A. Kelly, Jr." meets on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 pm at St. Mary's Church. All degrees are welcome.
Family of the Month
The Family of the Month for March 2023 is The Father-Son Duo of Jim and JJ Hribar.
This Father-Son duo put their Faith into Action by giving it their all in support of Polish Night, an in-person Polish dinner and Polish entertainment fundraiser held by the St. Mary’s Knights of Columbus Council in the Parish Hall. Jim took the lead in planning and organizing the event, making sure it was advertised widely throughout the Richmond Diocese, sending out direct invites and flyers to past attendees, tabulating orders, making seating arrangements, and hiring Polish dancers, to name a few. JJ arrived early in the morning and left late at night on Polish Night, organizing room set up and tear down for 350 people and instructing volunteers on what tasks needed performed, while personally providing direct hands on support for any last minute action that needed completed. Thanks to Jim and JJ, 350 guests attended Polish Night, thousands of dollars were raised for Knights charities, and fun was had by all! This Father-Son duo were Polish Night workhorses to whom we are all very grateful, and for their efforts putting their Faith into Action The Family of the Month for March 2023 is The Father-Son Duo of Jim and JJ Hribar.
Knight of the Month
The Knight of the Month for March 2023 is “Dunkin” Dudley Metz.
This Knight put his Faith into Action over the past several months by taking the Ice Bucket Challenge and raising nearly $2,500 for Special Olympics! Early on in the fraternal year, Dudley decided Special Olympics was a cause he especially wanted to support. So beginning in October, he made sure the Church Bulletin advertised the Challenge and that a donation webpage was set up to accept donations. Dudley then personally appealed to the Council membership for financial support and made sure a collection for Special Olympics was made after all weekend masses the first weekend in February. Then, while outside on a cold February Sunday afternoon in front of 40 cheering parishioners singing what came to be known as “The “Dunkin” Dudley Song,” Dudley bravely had two large buckets of ice dumped over his head, soaking him to the core. For putting his Faith into Action by taking the Ice Bucket Challenge and raising nearly $2,500 for Special Olympics, The Knight of the Month for March of 2023 is “Dunkin” Dudley Metz.
About Monsignor Charles A. Kelly, Jr.
Monsignor Charles A. Kelly, Jr. was born in Richmond, Virginia on July 2, 1942. He was the son of Charles A. Kelly, Sr. and Grace Elizabeth Beckett Kelly.
Msgr. Kelly attended Cathedral Elementary School in Richmond, VA and graduated from Benedictine High School in Richmond in June, 1960. He began his studies for the priesthood at Saint Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. In 1964, he was assigned to the North American College in Rome, Italy to complete his studies. On December 21, 1967, Msgr. Kelly was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He received a Licentiate Degree in Sacred Theology from the North American College in June, 1968.
Msgr. Kelly began his ministry serving as Secretary to the Bishop and in the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal in July, 1968. He was appointed to serve as Vice-Chancellor for the diocese in June, 1969 and also served as an associate pastor at Sacred Heart parish from June, 1970 to July, 1971.
In July, 1971, Msgr. Kelly returned to the North American College for graduate studies. He joined the faculty of the North American College in September, 1972 and became its Vice-Rector in December, 1974.
In August, 1979, Msgr. Kelly returned to the United States and became the Pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Richmond.
Msgr. Kelly's first homily to St. Mary's is a reflection of his vision and his desire to work for the Lord. He stated that he was sent to St. Mary's by the Lord and the Church to live, to work, to pray, and give thanks with the parish as its Pastor.
He reflected on the core of St. Mary's parish identity as:
- Freedom to believe in a God who cares, forgives and unites
- Freedom to trust in and share the gifts of mind and heart in all and each other
- Freedom to grow in a communion o of life and love with God and one another
He pledged to the parish to do his best to:
- Call us to prayer - personal and shared prayer at liturgy - deepening our relationship with the Lord
- To make St. Mary's always hospitable to the Word and Spirit of God
- To proclaim God's word clearly and meaningfully. he stated that he would put forth his best effort to share parishioners' lives, to be accessible and to be open to the parishioners' experience of life.
He encouraged the parishioners to share their gifts for the service to all, that together, we may be something beautiful for God and share his glory through service to the Church and to the world. He asked the parishioners to ground their lives, their insights, and their decisions in prayer.