Mary Clare Kelly

Hello! I greet you all in the Heart of the Risen Christ! My name is Mary Clare Kelly, a campus minister here at St. Augustine’s! Originally from Arkansas, I recently graduated from Christendom College in Virginia, where I majored in Theology with a minor in Classical and Early Christian Studies. A passionate academic at heart, pursuing the riches of the Catholic liberal arts tradition, joining in authentic and deep conversations with others, and diving into academic engagement with the Catholic Faith are some of my great intellectual joys. 

As great as are my academic loves, however, nothing is able to match the wonder and excitement of embarking on the adventure of being fully on mission for Christ and His Church. My journey with the Lord began in earnest when I was a young teenager, when, through God’s grace, I radically changed my life to follow His call and made my own the choice to belong wholly to Him. After this, I was blessed with a time of great growth in my relationship with the Lord and an ardent love of, and joy in, Him. Strengthened through the blessing of having various mission experiences while in college, from homeless ministry to street evangelization, a zeal for mission and evangelization work also blossomed in my heart, and I desired to labor for Mother Church and place all of my gifts at the service of the Kingdom. I have particularly realized the power of relationships with others, in the ordinary moments, conversations, and encounters of life, to be channels of the transformative grace of Jesus Christ. God uses even the most everyday moments to accomplish His work. Led by the Holy Spirit to discover St. Augustine University Parish, I am blessed to now be taking the next step, as I excitedly and joyfully prepare to join the Campus Ministry team this fall! Excelsior, Pro Te, Domine! Ever Higher, For You, Lord!