Remembering The Best

by Bernard McCormick Wednesday, July 22, 2026 1 Comment(s)

Tuesday would have been his 93rd birthday. Very likely many, if not most people reading this did not know that. They may not even know that Monsignor Vincent Kelly, one of the most influential clergy in South Florida, has left us. There was no obituary in the Sun-Sentinel, apparently because the paper is only running paid obituaries. In previous times, his death would have been page-one news.  You wonder how important one has to be to warrant an obituary because of its news value. His funeral last week would normally have been a packed church. But it is hard to attend a funeral that you don’t know about.

Irish born Monsignor Vincent Kelly - a leader for 50 years

So for the record: When Father Vincent Kelly came to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 1970, its claim to fame was Brian Piccolo, who had just been celebrated in the film “Brian’s Song.” It also had a rising young tennis star named Chris Evert.

The school was losing enrollment, however, and Kelly may have been faced with a decision to keep it open. Students from many of the better neighborhoods were gravitating toward the more modern Cardinal Gibbons in Coral Ridge.

Along with the late Sister John Norton, he built St. Thomas into a sports powerhouse while also maintaining high academic standards. The school has recently been named the top Catholic sports high school in the country. His success at St. Thomas led Kelly to be named superintendent of education for the whole South Florida archdiocese, a role he held for decades. If that’s not enough, he also served for years as pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Coral Ridge, which is also the site of Cardinal Gibbons.

Monsignor Kelly’s success was partly due to his charm and humor. Tall and handsome, his modest demeanor quickly won affection.
 

One of his admirers called him the “best of the best.” Even in this era of exaggeration, that’s a fitting memorial tribute.