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CBS News
25 minutes ago
- CBS News
At 100, this Catholic priest from Philadelphia still bakes pies, enjoys opera and celebrates daily Mass
Throughout his remarkable lifetime, the Rev. James Kelly has baptized thousands of people, married thousands more, ministered to the sick in hospitals, and traveled the world extensively. He became friends with an opera superstar and, yes, even with a saint. The longest-serving priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of his ordination and his 100th birthday. He's grateful to have reached these milestones, but nearly didn't after experiencing a health challenge last year that required life-saving surgery. He feels God gave him some extra time and tries to make each day count. The Rev. James Kelly laughs during an interview at his apartment in the Normandy Farms Estates retirement community in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, on June 18, 2025. Luis Andres Henao / AP "The Lord was wonderful to me to give me the health and the strength and the energy to travel, to meet beautiful things — God was always giving me surprises," Kelly says. Born on Jan. 7, 1925, in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia 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 Normandy Farms Estates retirement community in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, where he lives. He listens to opera. He bakes pies. The Rev. James Kelly celebrates Mass at his apartment in the Normandy Farms Estates retirement community in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, on June 19, 2025. Luis Andres Henao / AP 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 west of Philadelphia. The Rev. James Kelly points to a portrait of himself as a young priest in his photo album during an interview at the Normandy Farms Estates retirement community in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, on June 18, 2025. Luis Andres Henao / AP 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, 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. The Rev. James Kelly sits in his apartment in the Normandy Farms Estates retirement community in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, on June 18, 2025. Luis Andres Henao / AP "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. 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. 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."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
My kids started having sleepovers in Kindergarten. They knew they could call me at any time and I would pick them up.
I loved sleepovers growing up and wanted my kids to enjoy the experience too. My kids started going to and hosting sleepovers when they were in kindergarten. They knew they could call me at any point and I'd pick them up. When I was growing up, sleepovers were a rite of passage. Although sleepovers are now a controversial topic, I didn't want to deny my kids the same experiences I had. I let them start having sleepovers as kindergartners, but we put one important non-negotiable rule in place. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve shimmying into my sleeping bag, holding a flashlight, and laughing with my friends until our eyes became too heavy with happy exhaustion to keep them open any longer. During these sleepovers, my friends and I watched movies, played games, and snuck snacks late into the night. Many of the rules my friends and I dutifully followed in our everyday lives vanished once the sun went down. Often, we had no bedtime, and junk food was no longer off-limits. I loved sleepovers so much that I requested a slumber party to celebrate every birthday. As a parent, I looked forward to my children experiencing the same joy that sleepovers had brought me as a child. As kindergarteners, they already had strong friendships. I knew most of the parents of their close friends well, and I started inviting their friends to spend the night. Some parents thought their kids were too young to start sleepovers in kindergarten, but others gladly allowed their kids to spend the night on a futon in my basement, appreciating the freedom to have a date night or spend one-on-one time with a sibling without having to hire a sitter. Watching my kids enjoy pizza and movies past their bedtime always brought a smile to my face. More kids than I can count had their first sleepover at my house, and I loved that so many parents and kids felt so comfortable with my family. At first, my kids preferred hosting sleepovers at our house, where they felt most comfortable. I never pushed my kids to sleep over someone else's house. However, I let them know that whenever they were ready, their friends were eager to host them for the night. Before their kindergarten year was over, each of my kids decided to pack their bags, grab their pillows, and have their first sleepover. As a 5-year-old, my daughter and I made the walk down the block and around the corner together for her first sleepover. She told me that she was equal parts nervous and excited. I reminded her of my one non-negotiable rule she had to follow. No matter what, if she started to feel uncomfortable for any reason, even in the middle of the night, she had to call me and let me know she wanted to be picked up. To make both my kids and me feel better, whenever they head out for a sleepover, whether as kindergartners or teens, I remind them that I will pick them up, no questions asked. This reassures both of us. When my kids were younger, I always let the host parents know that I expected my kids to be able to use the phone to call me at any hour, even if that meant waking them up in the middle of the night. No one ever took issue with this request. If they had, I would have called off the sleepover immediately. Now that my kids are older, they have their own phones and know they can, and should, use them if they want to leave a sleepover. My kids all know that when they are at sleepovers, I leave my phone on all night in case they need me. They also know that if they want an easy out, I will take the blame, telling the host family that there is a family emergency or an important event I had forgotten about so they don't need to feel embarrassed about being picked up or feel as though they owe a host family an explanation that might make them feel uncomfortable. Most sleepovers go off without a hitch. However, when my son was in sixth grade, my phone started ringing in the middle of the night. Groggily, I picked up to hear my son telling me he wanted to come home right away. I got in the car in my pajamas to pick him up, letting my son know that he didn't have to tell me what had happened, but that I was glad he called. I told him that I would tell the host family that I needed him to come home, but wouldn't elaborate. Weeks later, my son told me that he had gotten into what, in hindsight, was a minor disagreement with one of the boys at the sleepover. I reassured him that he did the right thing by calling the moment he felt uncomfortable. I was relieved that my years of telling my kids they could leave a sleepover anytime they wanted to come home had sunk in. Read the original article on Business Insider
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Underground fire prompts emergency response in Downtown Baltimore; Residents urged to avoid the area
Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management has advised residents, visitors, and patrons to avoid the area of E Baltimore St and Guilford Ave due to an underground fire that occurred Saturday afternoon. Baltimore City Residents, Visitor's, and Patrons - BCFD is currently responding to a call of fire activity in the area of E Baltimore St & Guilford Ave. Please AVOID the area, and identify alternate routes of travel. — Baltimore City OEM (@BaltimoreOEM) June 28, 2025 Just before 4 p.m., the Baltimore City Fire Department reported no visible fire and smoke had died down. BGE has responded to the scene to isolate and deenergize the area. The Maryland Transportation Authority has also been notified, per the BCFD.
