Sr. Mary Kelly, a Sister of Mercy and original member of Catholic Health Ministries, sponsor of Trinity Health, died April 6 in Livonia, Mich. She was 71.
A doctor of public health, she taught at the university level. She held leadership roles for her religious community and she used her expertise related to religious community finances to counsel the Sisters of Mercy and other congregations.
Sr. Kelly was one of seven women religious appointed to the founding board of Trinity Health's public juridic person, Catholic Health Ministries, in 2000. In articles she wrote for CHA's Health Progress journal, Sr. Kelly detailed the thought Trinity Health put into creating a formation program to prepare laypeople to join the Catholic health care system's public juridic person.
Michael A. Slubowski, Trinity Health's president and chief operating officer, described her lasting imprint in a statement: "As a founding member of Catholic Health Ministries, Sr. Mary's contributions to our efforts were numerous. She provided constant and sound guidance and helped create the first formation program for legacy Trinity Health's public juridic person; in doing so, she also brought an unforgettable grace and wisdom to every interaction."
Sr. Kelly served on the Sisters of Mercy Health Corporation Board from 1984 to 1993. She was president of Mercy Services for the Aging, a subsidiary of Mercy Health Services. Mercy Health Services was a predecessor of Trinity. She helped to form Mercy Investment Services.
Sr. Kelly taught at the University of Detroit Mercy and its College of Health Professions for more than 20 years, according to information from the school. Her published work included articles about the significant role of women religious in the development of hospitals in the United States.
Sr. Kelly lived in Detroit most of her life. She made her perpetual vows in 1970. She earned a bachelor of arts from Mercy College of Detroit in 1968, a master of business administration from Michigan State University in 1980 and a doctorate in public health from the University of Michigan in 2001.
Her Mass of Resurrection was on April 11 at the Mercy Center Chapel at Farmington Hills, Mich., with interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Mich.