Sister Dominic Kelly, MM

Born: February 4, 1901
Entered: February 2, 1930
Died: November 10, 1975

Sister Dominic Kelly died peacefully on November 10th at St. Luke’s Hospital in Pasadena, California. Her funeral Mass was this morning at 9:00 a.m. and she was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Sister Dominic (Irene Margaret Kelly and formerly Sr. St. Dominic) was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 4, 1901. She studied nursing at Oak Park Hospital and became interested in Maryknoll through her cousin, Father Robert Sheridan, M.M. Sister entered Maryknoll in 1930, made her first profession on January 6, 1933 and her final vows in 1936 in Korea. After profession she was assigned to China and remained there until 1945. Some of the Sisters who lived with her during those years remember her as a committed missioner, fully involved in the lives of those whom she had come to serve.

For the next few years Sister had various assignments – on the West Coast, at Queen of the World Hospital in Kansas City and at St. Teresa’s. In 1964 after a refresher course at Los Angeles Orthopedic Hospital she returned to Hong Kong. While there she worked at Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital. Her precarious health at this time prompted her to write: “Please pray that God will continue to give me my health because there is so much to do. However if He wants me that is all right too. But the road to heaven is not that easy.” Due to continuing illness Sister was assigned to Valley Park. While there she became deeply interested in a second career of painting. She took courses both there and later in Monrovia and gave evidence of real talent. Several of her paintings were sold at local exhibits.

In talking to sisters who knew Sister Dominic well and also to Father Robert Sheridan, several qualities of her life were noted – but the first one mentioned by each was kindness. This evident overflowing of herself on others was characteristic of her life in Maryknoll.