Ordained: 1939
Died: 03/04/1987
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD
In 1971, a woman reported to her parish priest that she was sexually abused by Father Thomas M. Kelly 1971 when she was eight years old. The Archdiocese made a report, but the victim was not interviewed, and the claim was deemed not credible. In October 1971, a meeting was held where Kelly’s drinking habits, irrational behavior, and mistreatment of women and young girls were discussed.
The priests under Thomas M. Kelly confronted him about his drinking, but the decision was made for Kelly to retire. He was admitted to a hospital for personality changes noticed by associates and parishioners, and psychiatric reports showed emotional and personality disturbances of psychotic proportions. The notes expressed concerns about Kelly’s drinking habits and their impact on his health, image, and reputation of the priesthood, but they did not explicitly mention the concerns for the young girls or women affected by his behavior.