Michael Bernard Kelly
| Michael Bernard Kelly | |
|---|---|
 Screen Shot 2021-02-20 at 9.04.50 PM.png Bishop Michael Bernard Kelly | |
| Native name | Michael Bernard Kelly |
| Born | 1954/07/27 |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Australian |
| 💼 Occupation | Independent Catholic Bishop |
| michael.b.kelly.5 | |
| Styles of Michael Bernard Kelly | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Michael Bernard Kelly (1954-2020) was an Australian Independent Catholic bishop. He served as bishop of the Community of the Incarnation.
His biography on the LGBTQ Religious Archives Network reads:
"Michael Bernard Kelly is known internationally for his work in integrating Christian spirituality and gay experience. Born in Australia in 1954 into a devout Catholic family, he joined the Franciscans after finishing high school, and his spirituality has continued to be nourished by the spirit, vision and example of Francis of Assisi, though outside formal religious structures. Michael is an educator, writer, activist, and retreat leader who has worked in the U.S. the U.K. and Australia. He holds professional qualifications in theology, spirituality, creative media and education, and is currently working on a doctorate in the field of Christian mysticism and gay experience.
"For 17 years Michael was a religious education specialist and campus minister in Catholic schools and universities, in both Australia and the U.S. In 1993, he came out publicly and let go of his career in the church. Since then he has committed himself to developing new forms of creative ministry with gay and lesbian people. In 1995, Joseph Kramer of Erospirit Institute published Michael's eight-hour video lecture series, "The Erotic Contemplative: the spiritual journey of the gay Christian," which John J. McNeill hailed as "The most powerful and insightful study of gay spirituality that I know of." Michael has created communities of ritual and challenge on the fringes of the church and has offered spiritual direction to gay men from many Christian communities. In 1998, he co-founded the Rainbow Sash Movement in Australia, which publicly challenges the Catholic Church's treatment of gay and lesbian people. In this role, he became a prominent media spokesperson for gay Catholics in Australia, and he is frequently sought after for commentary on current religious issues.
"Michael has been a guest speaker at Union Theological Seminary in New York, the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, Quest in London, the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, the national Daring Conference of the Uniting Church in Australia, the national conference of Australian Reforming Catholics, Dignity-New York, Dignity-San Francisco, MCC Los Angeles, the LBGT Center in Manhattan, among many other institutes and groups. In 2005 and 2006 he was scholar-in-residence at Easton Mountain Retreat Center in New York state, and he has led many retreats and workshops there (www.eastonmountain.com). His writing has appeared in the Melbourne Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Irish Times, Yale Divinity School's journal Reflections, St. Mark's Review, the Sydney Star Observer, Campaign Magazine, as well as in anthologies published in the U.K., the U.S. and Australia."
Ministries[edit]
| Title | Ministry | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Bishop | Community of the Incarnation |
Significant Dates[edit]
- 27 Jul 1954 - Born
- 25 May 1990 - Ordained to the Diaconate by Marica Herndon
- 25 May 1990 - Ordained to the Presbyterate by Marica Herndon
- 2009 - Ordained sub conditione to the Diaconate Brian C. Xavier Seaver
- 2009 - Ordained sub conditione to the Presbyterate Brian C. Xavier Seaver
- 5 Dec 2010 - Consecrated to the Episcopate by Brian C. Xavier Seaver, Richard Roy, Joseph Grenier & Kera Hamilton
- 14 Nov 2020 - Born to eternal life
Education[edit]
- 1980 - Bachelor of Theology, Melbourne College of Divinity
- 1984 - Graduate Diploma of Education, Australian Catholic University
- 1990 - M.A. Spirituality, Holy Names University
- 2005 - Master of Creative Media, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
- 2015 - Ph.D. Christian Mysticism, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Works[edit]
- Seduced by Grace: Contemporary Spirituality, Gay Experience and Christian Faith (2008)
- Greetings from New York (2017)
- Love's Pure Light: A Reflection on the Passage of Marriage Equality (2018)
- Queer Flame: Spirituality in the Lives of Contemporary Gay Men (2018)
In the News[edit]
- "Queer Flame of Love" (2016) Portraits in Faith
- RIP Michael B. Kelly: Queer Theologian, Author and “Erotic Contemplative” Teacher (2020) Q Spirit
- Michael Kelly Remembered as Beloved Activist for LGBTIQ People of Faith (2020) Pink Advocate
- Michael Bernard Kelly RIP (2020) The Holy Irritant
- Vale Michael Bernard Kelly 1954-2020 (2020) Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives
