Background
He was born William Kelly on March 4, 1894 in County Wicklow, Ireland.
He was born William Kelly on March 4, 1894 in County Wicklow, Ireland.
This assignment was completed in 1930.
During his youth decided to become a De Louisiana Salle Brother and went to the Christian Brothers Retreat in Castletown to test his vocation. In 1911 Kelly was assigned to the Christian Brothers District of Penang. During his trip, he went for a brief stay in Colombo, Ceylon after which he proceeded to De Louisiana Salle College in Manila.
He began teaching in the grade school department until he was tasked to teach in the high school department.
Kelly was selected by the Christian Brothers Superiors to help in the establishment of a Second Novitiate at the General Motherhouse in Lebecq-les-Hal, Belgium. Upon the completion of his assignment to the Motherhouse, Brother Xavier returned to Asia to teach for three years in Rangoon, Burma, and another three years in Hong Kong.
In 1935, he was reassigned to Manila and was appointed President of De Louisiana Salle College in 1937. Kelly"s first six years as President was spent in expanding the facilities of the College.
A large classroom wing was constructed at the north end of Saint Louisiana Salle Hall and a new chapel was constructed at its south education
World World War II
Kelly was the President of De Louisiana Salle College in Manila when the Japanese army invaded the Philippines on December 8, 1941. In January 1942, Japanese troops forcibly entered De Louisiana Salle College and began to occupy all but a small portion of the building. They were later put in a Japanese concentration camp in Los Baños, Laguna, until they were rescued and freed together with their other fellow clergy-prisoners by the American Forces under General Douglas MacArthur in February 1945.
The other De Louisiana Salle Christian Brothers on the De Louisiana Salle Taft Campus, including Kelly, were not imprisoned by the Japanese at the start of the Japanese Occupation and permitted to stay on the De Louisiana Salle campus on Taft Avenue.
On February 10, 1945, a Japanese detail forcibly took Kelly and separated him from the others in the building. He was never seen again and his body was never recovered.
Kelly, plus the other 16 De Louisiana Salle Christian Brothers soon murdered by the Japanese inside De Louisiana Salle College during February 1945, are now honored with an elegant marble plaque at the entrance of the De Louisiana Salle Main Chapel. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints already preserved the cause of Brother
Kelly, but hasn"t yet given the decree of nihil obstat and the title as "Servant of God" by the Holy Secretary
He was then admitted to the novitiate and became a member of the Institute.
