Rev. William F. Kenneally
Rev. William F. Kenneally, entered into eternal rest peacefully at home at Regina Cleri, Tuesday October 12, 2010. Faithful priest of the Archdiocese of Boston for 57 years.
Fr. Kenneally was born in Roxbury and graduated from Jamaica Plain High School, Class of 1942. He attended Boston College for 18 months, then entered the US Army and was discharged in 1946. He resumed studies at Boston College and entered St. John’s Seminary in 1947. Fr. Kenneally was ordained in 1953 and was assigned to St. Jerome’s Church, Weymouth, St. Mary’s Church, Dedham and St. Andrew’s Church, Forest Hills. He entered the Army Chaplain Corps and served in Korea from 1963 until his discharge as a Captain in 1967.
Fr. Kenneally served Holy Name Church in West Roxbury for four years, St. Ann’s Church, Quincy for two years and was named Pastor of St. Matthew’s Church, Dorchester from 1973-1976; St. Mary’s Church, Foxboro 1976-1986; and St. Bonaventure Church, Plymouth 1986-1997. He became a Senior Priest-In-Residence at Saint Agatha Church, Milton, April 1997 and later resided at Regina Cleri Residence, Boston.
Devoted son of the late John and Elizabeth Kenneally. Beloved uncle of John of West Roxbury, Jean of Mansfield, Barbara Yates of Norfolk, Joan Walker of Whitman, Susan DiBona of Laconia, NH and Janet O’Neil of Worcester. Also survived and loved by grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews. Cherished brother of the late John Jr., Mary Peloquin and Katherine Kenneally. Loving uncle of the late Andrew Peloquin Jr.
Fr. Kenneally will lie-in-state at Saint Agatha Church, Milton, Friday October 15, 4-7 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Saint Agatha Church, Saturday at 11:00 AM. Interment Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Randolph.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Regina Cleri, c/o Mr. Stephen Gust, 60 Wm. Cardinal O’Connell Way, Boston, MA 02114.
Guestbook Entries
Jean,
So sorry to hear of your Uncle’s passing. I know he appreciated all you and your family have done for him. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Gail
Father Kenneally was a “special” priest/person for me….He started out being my C.Y.O. director at St. Mary’s in Dedham in the mid-fifties….He came back to St. Mary’s to marry my husband and I in 1961(told us that we were the only ones to date that he ever came back to a parish that he had left , to marry….we felt honored!)….When he was the Pastor of St. Mary’s in Foxboro(where we moved to in 1964) he confirmed both of my sons…..He also said the “Funeral Mass” for my husband in 1998(also visited him many times at Dana Farber), along with saying the funeral Masses for my parents….He was a “special person” and I just wish I knew that he was ill as I would have certainly tried to spend more time with him….I hope he found my husband(Bill) up in heaven!!!
Our family was saddened to hear of Fr. Kenneally’s passing. He was a special friend for many years and a wonderful man! We have a lost a wonderful priest and friend and we have many fond memories of him and his wonderful sense of humour and how he did so much for so many!
Karen (McGonagle) Hoffmeister
I am sorry for the loss of Father Kenneally. I’ve been a life long parishoner of Saint Agatha’s Parish. I look foward to seeing him again on the last day at the Resurrection of the Dead.
Condolences
James Francis Gavin III
32 Years Old
P.S. I sure he is having a great time with lots of laughs with Father Anadore and Father Turke up in heaven
Father Kenneally was a kind and gentle man.
The Sunday before my wife gave birth to our daughter in 2000, he blessed us (and her bulging tummy, of course) after Mass. He then gave us his niece Jean’s contact information at the hospital. He took such joy in performing the blessing and talking about the upcoming birth of our first child.
We have never forgotten Father Kenneally’s kindness to us on the front steps of St. Agatha’s on that beautiful Spring Sunday afternoon.
And Father Kenneally never forgot us- he always seemed to relished seeing our family after Mass and watching our daughter grow.
Boston is a sadder Archdiocese without Father Kenneally in it.
To his family and friends- please accept our condolences, and thank you for sharing him with our community.
Dear Kenneally Family:
I recognize I am sending this note almost 2 years after the passing of Father Kenneally, however at a wake recently of a former parishioner of St. Matthew’s, Dorchester I learned of his passing.
I was a 2nd grader at St. Mathew’s Parish School when Father Kenneally came to be our Pastor and save our Parish! And he did, in so many wonderful ways. After the 9:00AM Sunday Mass each week he would stand outside of the church and shake hands with the parishioners and he always had a flock of school children circling him to hear yet another wonderful Bible related story and to see his “tricky” thumb do magic and have us all laughing until red in the face! I actually had a picture I drew of Father with the children surrounding him submitted to the annual art show at Boston College and took home a winning ribbon for my drawing! (As a 2nd Grader, Sister Prudence)
In 2007 I reached out to Father and asked him to say my Mother’s Funeral Mass at St. Matthew’s ~ which he so willingly did. And then he sent me a Thank You note for thinking of him!
What an amazing man and disciple of God! My only regret was not to have known of his passing and being able to attend his Wake and Funeral to pay my respects properly.
May he rest in peace as he continues to love and serve the Lord.
With respect and admiration,
Cheryl-Anne Rizzotto (St. Matthew’s, Class of 1978)