BOOK
The Quintessential Good Samaritan
The Authorized Biography of John Joseph Kelly, Champion of Social Justice
The authorized biography of John Joseph Kelly, the quintessential Good Samaritan and a champion of social justice who changed the lives of thousands of people in need, first as a devoted Catholic priest, then as a champion of the poor and father figure to troubled youth, and finally as a saint to San Quentin inmates whose souls he saved one by one.
Introduction
One warm August day in 1979, fifty-one-year-old Father John Joseph Kelly ended his formal Mass at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Belmont, California, turned to the crowd and in his booming baritone voice wished all the ritual Peace of the Lord.
The congregants in this makeshift parish south of San Francisco dutifully echoed their expected response: “And with your spirit.” Kelly then softly asked people to shake hands as the traditional sign of peace. He paused a long while gazing at the packed audience, ready to take a life-changing step into an uncertain future, one he could have never believed possible years earlier.
Slowly, Kelly reached to the hem of his vestment, pulled it up over his head and held the gold-trimmed white silk cloth just a moment before dropping it in a clump at his feet. He straightened to his full six-foot two height and looked to the parishioners as if a hundred pounds had been lifted from his shoulders. He saw several parishioners fighting back tears, each shocked that after twenty-five years as a priest, Kelly was renouncing his days as a devout man of the cloth.
Now, dressed simply in sport-shirt and trousers, he was just one of them, no longer their spiritual guide to the Jesus Christ he worshipped on a daily basis. To mark the occasion, one for him of joy, he began to sing softly the song, “Born Free,” and the congregation immediately joined in. When the singing ceased, many parishioners rushed to Kelly and for several minutes, they hugged him with love in their hearts. Some others turned and left in disapproval.
For months, Kelly had wrestled with his conscience, hoping he could fulfill his vocation and continue the Catholic life he had chosen so long ago. But after a long and painful struggle while witnessing the shortcomings of modern religion, he discovered he could not budge the Catholic bureaucracy to accept his form of social action. Finally, the conflict of emotions had led him to this day of decision, to leaving his Mother Church behind in this disobedient, shocking, yet personally satisfying final act.
To be certain, Kelly had become a ‘fallen-away’ former Roman Catholic priest. He hadn’t quit to be married or been de-frocked because of a scandal. Rather, his intended commitment to social justice, the poor and oppressed, exceeded and transcended that of his church. He felt it had been co-opted by the organizational, bureaucratic model that plagues many organizations grown too large.
Kelly would never say it but he had become holier than his Church by simply following the examples of how Jesus lived his life.
His inspiration led to a true life of inclusion and caring for everyone in need with no exceptions, examples that had been part of the early organizational church. Kelly didn’t fall away from his belief in Jesus. He leapt away from a distorted image of Jesus with clear purpose and passion for compassion that he couldn’t find in his church.
In the days and weeks ahead, there would be no miracles and no lightning bolts of instant enlightenment. Kelly struggled with each life choice like other mortals. First, he focused only on survival without a plan to be or do good. Fortunately, others saw his potential and helped animate him into a life dedicated to social justice. He soon recognized all the human needs around him and set about fulfilling those needs as his job and his life’s work.
“Fulfilling” these human needs led Kelly to become not unlike Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi. During a life dedicated to others who had lost their way and needed his love, he would be instrumental in helping feed thousands of people who were hungry, providing them shelter, and making certain they had adequate clothing. Then, when these tasks were completed, he became a true saint to lost imprisoned souls through his tireless efforts in the area of restorative justice at San Quentin Prison and the county jail near his home.
Without question, John Kelly was an unglorified hero, a role model, a champion for social justice, for anyone who truly desires to make a difference in today’s confusing world. From his very lips to my ears and from those who knew him best, this is his remarkable story.
Tom Huening
“John Kelly walks the talk. I wrote his biography because he is the man most like Jesus who I have met in my life. He has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick and visited the imprisoned. His story was an inspiration to me and I believe will be to you.”
Tom Huening
“Fellow-healer John Kelly devoted his life to the physical, emotional and psychological healing of the socially and racially disadvantaged. His story inspires in these troubled times.”
DEEPAK CHOPRA
Reviews from Amazon
What people are saying…
“Fellow-healer John Kelly devoted his life to the physical, emotional and psychological healing of the socially and racially disadvantaged. His story inspires in these troubled times.”
Deepak Chopra
“I’ve been blessed to know John Kelly for 45 years. He has been one of the most influential treasures in my life and in the lives of people from all the different backgrounds where he traveled. John Kelly was a collector and influencer of people because he talked, supported and loved them. [He had] limited means except for his overflowing heart of love that he extended to all who he encouraged. John changed the lives of so many people that he [was] the ‘Godfather of the Peninsula.’ As a priest at Serra, a private counselor, a driving force of Samaritan House and in the last chapter of his life, counselor at San Quentin Prison, John profoundly impacted the very existence of those he encountered. Speaking for myself and my family, we are extremely thankful that we were honored to be his friend.”
Tom Brady, Sr.
“John Kelly lived his life helping Black and minority lives matter, ahead of his Christian church and ahead of the current social movement. John’s life story in The Quintessential Good Samaritan is a heartfelt template of racial fairness and equity. Kelly’s dedication to those in need and his compassion for all, lifted and inspired me and those around him who witnessed his extraordinary contributions to humanity.”
Susan Manheimer, former San Mateo & Oakland, CA Chief of Police
“John Kelly was a true leader, with courage and commitment to help others help themselves. As John Calvin Maxwell succinctly stated: ‘To add value to others, one must first value others.’ John Kelly’s legacy will be his compassion; his devotion to the physical, emotional and psychological healing of the socially and racially disadvantaged is a beautiful model to guide us all through these uncertain and troubled times.”
Warren Blank, PhD, President, CEO, LeadershipGroup.com
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