Brother Thomas (Benedict Joseph) Kelly
Diocese of Brooklyn/Baltimore/Xaverian
Joined: 1933
Died: 1976
Assignment History:
- 1934-1938: St. Mary’s Industrial School (Baltimore, MD)
- 1939-1941: St. Patrick (Lowell, MA)
- 1942: St. Teresa (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1943: Holy Name School (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1944-1949: St. Mary’s Industrial School (Baltimore, MD)
- 1950-1957: Flaget High School (Louisville, KY)
- 1958-1959: Mt. Loretto (Staten Island, NY)
- 1960-1961: Holy Name School (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1962-1967: Leonard Hall (Leonardtown, MD)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Brother Thomas (Benedict Joseph) Kelly:
Br. Thomas Kelly, also known as Brother Benedict Joseph, was a member of the Brothers of St Francis Xavier and worked in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and Kentucky. In April 2023, Maryland’s Attorney General released a report alleging 156 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over six decades. The report lists the names of the abusers, including Brother Benedict Joseph Thomas Kelly.
According to the Attorney General’s report, in 1995, a victim reported that he was sexually abused by several Xaverian Brothers at St. Mary’s Industrial School beginning in 1945, when he was 13, and continuing until he was 16. Along with Br. Meegan and Br. Fabian, Brother Benedict Joseph (Thomas F. Kelly) also raped the victim orally and anally in Joseph’s room and outside on school grounds. The victim named two other potential victims.
From 1973 to 1976, Kelly was reportedly in nursing care in Baltimore. His status as a brother and access to children from when he retired in 1968 until his death in 1976 is unknown.
In 2019, Br. Kelly’s name appeared on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list and on the Xaverian Brothers’ list of brothers credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a minor.
Br. Thomas F. Kelly died in 1976.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Brooklyn, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.