In Loudoun, Grief for 'the Flying Priest'

Pastor Killed in Storm Exemplified Message of Sacrifice, Congregants Say

Michael C. Kelly, the pastor at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, had a number of techniques for bringing people into the flock.

There was his disarming sense of humor, reflected in the signs he put on the doors of the confessional booths, which read, "Your Name Here." There was his knack for attracting attention, such as when he'd ride his homemade airplane-style bicycles through town, earning him the nickname "the flying priest." And there were his everyday actions, parishioners said, which exemplified the message of giving and self-sacrifice ubiquitous in his sermons.

Kelly, 53, died this week doing one final good deed. While driving to the funeral of another priest, Kelly pulled over in the Hamilton area about 9 a.m. Wednesday during a fierce wind storm to remove a fallen tree from the road so no one would get hurt. That was when he was struck and killed by another falling tree, authorities said.

To the mournful congregation of more than 1,700 families, Kelly's act was the exclamation point on the end of years of devoted service.

"The angels swooped down and carried him off," said a damp-eyed parishioner, Ruth Showalter, outside the Loudoun County church yesterday. "That was him. He got out there for people."

Kelly's father, John F.J. Kelly, put it another way.

"The good Lord needed an outstanding priest," said Kelly, 80, of Foneswood, Va. "He needed him now."

Friends said Kelly's compassion, diverse biography and quirky talents helped him win the hearts of congregants and non-Catholics alike in Purcellville, though he had been at St. Francis for less than three years. Kelly was born in Newport Beach, Calif., the son of a Marine. His family eventually settled in Alexandria in 1969, and Kelly graduated from Mount Vernon High School.

He walked several paths before finding his calling, congregants and relatives said, serving in the U.S. Navy -- where he attained the rank of boatswain's mate, 2nd Class -- studying history at what was then Mary Washington College and later working alongside his father as a private weapons and security consultant for the military. He was ordained in 1995, but his love of the military and history never faded. He was a Civil War reenactor, playing the part of a Union soldier from a Massachusetts unit known as the "Irish Brigade."

His gift, parishioners said, was his ability to combine those experiences into a powerful message and manner. In the confessional booth, congregants said, he had a gentle demeanor, encouraging people to "be merciful on yourself." When called for, he could be firm, and he often repeated the slogan "Improvise, adapt and overcome" -- a popular saying among Marines -- to those facing challenges. After preaching, he implored churchgoers to "continue the march."

"We're fighting to overcome ourselves," said Nicole Robertson, 25, in explaining Kelly's command. A convert to Catholicism, Robertson said she would not have joined the church if it weren't for Kelly. Robertson said she was unable to attend classes necessary for conversion because of a conflict with her work schedule in 2007.

So Kelly improvised, adapted and overcame.