The Most Reverend Patrick Kelly
Archbishop of Liverpool
Archbishop Patrick Kelly was born in Morecambe, Lancashire on 23 November 1938, the first son of John and Mary Kelly. His father, originally from Donegal, was a local dentist. The Archbishop attended St Mary's Primary School, Morecambe and Preston RC College before commencing studies for the priesthood in Rome in 1955. He was ordained by Cardinal William Godfrey at the English College, Rome on 18 February 1962. He remained in Rome for postgraduate studies until 1964.
On his return to England he was appointed as Assistant Priest at St Peter's Cathedral, Lancaster where he served for two years until his appointment as a lecturer in theology on the staff of St Mary's College, Oscott, Birmingham in 1966. He became Rector of Oscott in 1979 and continued in the post until his appointment as Bishop of Salford in 1984.
He was ordained as Bishop of Salford on 3 April 1984 and became Archbishop of Liverpool on 3 July 1996. As a member of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales he has chaired and remains a member of the Department for International Affairs where he Chairs the Committee for Environmental Justice. He is the representative of the Bishops' Conference on the International Co-ordination of the Roman Catholic Church for the Holy Land and has also served on the Committee for International Justice and Peace, and the Bishops' Committee for deaf people. He is also a consultor to the Pontifical Commission for International Justice and Peace and President of the International Catholic Foundation at the service of deaf people. On an ecumenical level he is a former member of ARCIC (The Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission). In November 1999 he was elected as vice-President of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
In his spare time the Archbishop enjoys listening to classical music and attending concerts.
He is the eighth Archbishop of Liverpool and is the first northern born man to be appointed to the position since Archbishop (later Cardinal) William Godfrey who was Archbishop of Liverpool from 1953 to 1957.
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