The daughter of George and Anna Lamkin Kelly, Mary Jane was born Dec. 27, 1882, near Raywick, Ky. She was the fourth child in a family of seven children. She attended Cravens Public School. After completing grade school, Mary, encouraged by her parents and teachers, prepared for a teaching career by attending one term of normal training at Bowling Green and taking the teacher’s examination. Mary received a first class certificate for teaching in the public schools of Kentucky.
Having taught for 10 years in five public schools in Marion County, she wanted to do something for the Church. Father Andrew Zoeller, her pastor, was in need of a housekeeper and Mary accepted the position. She was as adept at housekeeping as she had been in teaching. Although successful at this, she found herself at age 36 still searching for something more to life. In 1918, Mary entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph and, characteristically, put her heart and soul into everything she did. Since she had experience in teaching, she was assigned the seventh and eighth grade classroom at Mount Saint Joseph Academy for the fall term. On March 19, 1919, Mary Jane received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Clarentia.
Sister Clarentia’s apostolate was teaching. She was assigned to St. Rose School in Cloverport, Ky., for a year and then to St. Columba School in Louisville for a year. In 1921, she was assigned to St. Martin School in Rome, Ky. Under her leadership, St. Martin became a model Catholic school.
During her last two years at Rome, Sister Clarentia suffered from cancer. She was able to teach during the 1928-1929 school year. She remained at Rome, but did not attempt to teach during the 1929-1930 school year. On May 11, 1930, she was moved to St. Joseph Infirmary in Louisville and placed under the care of specialists. She died on May 31, 1930. Her remains were brought to Mount Saint Joseph the same day. On June 2, 1930, Father James L. Whelan, chaplain, with three other priests, celebrated the funeral Mass. Father Whelan preached the sermon. Sister Clarentia’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery. The eighth grade boys from St. Martin School were pallbearers.