You might say that Catholic Studies is in the Kelly family’s DNA. John Kelly ’10 CSMA, senior vice president of tax at UnitedHealth Group, wanted to know more about his faith and how it was connected to his personal and professional life. Prompted by his wife Paula’s own faith journey and with her blessing, he enrolled in the Catholic Studies graduate program. John’s courses awakened in him the powerful relationship of faith and reason and brought clarity to his vocation as a husband, father, professional, and man of faith.
John and Paula’s daughter, Bridget ’14, ’17 CSMA, followed in dad’s footsteps. She graduated from St. Thomas with double majors in Catholic Studies and Psychology and completed her master’s degree in Catholic Studies soon afterward. To date, John and Bridget are the only father-daughter CSMA graduates.
John joined the Catholic Studies Advisory Board in 2015, and he and Paula went on their second Catholic Studies pilgrimage to Rome in February. The Kellys’ eldest son, Jack, often accompanies his family to Catholic Studies events and celebrations too.
Recognizing an immediate need today, combined with a strong desire to make an impact during their lifetimes, the Kellys recently redirected their generous planned estate gift to establish the John and Paula Kelly Family Endowed Chair in Catholic Leadership. The chair holder will be simultaneously a tenure-track faculty member of the Department of Catholic Studies and director of the Habiger Institute for Catholic Leadership.
“John and Paula have been profoundly generous to Catholic Studies over the years,” said Dr. Michael Naughton. “This gift secures the important role the Habiger Institute plays within Catholic Studies as well as contributes to the Catholic mission and culture of the University of St. Thomas.”
The Habiger Institute’s activities – which include the Living Learning Communities, Guadalupe’s Scholars Program, Mission and Culture in Catholic Education Programs, and Leadership Interns – play a significant role in the lives of Catholic Studies students. These programs have also contributed to the growth of Catholic Studies and the enrollment goals of the university.
By providing the financial support needed to recruit world-class faculty capable of leading and developing the programs sponsored by the Institute, the newly established endowed chair will draw faculty who are aligned to the mission of Catholic Studies.
The inaugural chair holder will be recruited through a national search process throughout the upcoming academic year and will begin in the fall of 2026.
“Establishing this endowed chair in Catholic leadership is important to our family because we believe that the Catholic Studies program at St. Thomas faithfully answers St. John Paul II’s call for the continuous renewal of Catholic universities (Ex Corde Ecclesiae). This is an opportunity to help form young men and women intellectually, spiritually, and morally so that they can make an impact on our society and serve the common good.”
- John and Paula Kelly
This story is featured in the summer 2025 issue of Lumen.
