Frank Kelly speaks of his ‘fulfilling’ faith

Actor finds joy in belief

Veteran actor Frank Kelly has spoken of the importance of faith in his life.

Speaking on RTÉ’s John Murray Show this week, the actor, currently portraying The Bishop in John B. Keane’s Moll, said: “I spend 10 minutes on my knees every morning and I pray at night as well.”

Coming from a family that was “deeply religious but not in a craw-thumping way”, Kelly said his appreciation of Mass as a celebration came when he served as an altar boy at the Carmelite convent in Blackrock, Co. Dublin.

Mass

“It was a great introduction to religion,” he recalled. “The nuns were very economical in the way they did things and Mass was very simple and to the point. The focus was on the consecration as it should be at Mass.

“I’ve never lost the craving for that to be the main point of interest in the Mass,” he added, stating that he has always “tried to go to Mass, even when I have been ‘careless’ about my faith.”

Asked if he is, therefore, a traditionalist, Kelly replied: “There’s no choice, really. It’s about the crucifixion, it’s about the sacraments and the bread and wine and out belief in that.

“I find it incredibly fulfilling. The more I have practised and the more I have prayed, it has become more and more real.”