Tributes have been paid to a much-loved Belfast-born priest who has died at the age of almost 101.
Fr Christopher Kelly, who was born off the Glen Road in the west of the city in 1919, passed away on Monday at a nursing home in London.
Born Francis Kelly, he chose the religious name Christopher, as he was a tall man of well off six feet and St Christopher is usually depicted as a giant of a man.
Ordained into the Passionist community in England in 1945, at a time when there was a shortage, Fr Christopher went on to serve in a number of monasteries in Liverpool, Wales, Ilkley in Yorkshire and for the last 40 years at St Joseph's in Highgate in London.
As Rector at Highgate, Fr Kelly was responsible for promoting the activities of the social club at St Joseph's, beside the monastery.
Fr Kelly was the brother of well-known journalist and Irish News columnist, James Kelly, who died in 2011 at the age of 100 and also Gerry, who was in the RAF and was killed during the war.
A regular visitor home to Belfast over the years, Fr Kelly maintained a wide network of friends and family.
Speaking to the Irish News, Fr Kelly's niece, Grainne Tierney said her uncle was a "very much loved" and "very popular priest".
"He was 40 years in Highgate in London so the whole parish loved him," she said.
"He helped with the social club attached to the parish and he would go there every Saturday night and help them. It was mostly an Irish community.
"He was a lovely person and treated everybody the same".
A special Mass in memory of Fr Kelly will be celebrated by the Passionists on Thursday, April 2, on what would have been his 101st birthday.
A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held by his family at a later date.
