Monsignor Clement Connolly has had a long and meaningful relationship with City of Hope. For decades, he provided spiritual counsel to patients and clinicians as pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in South Pasadena.
In 2021, he experienced cancer care from another, even more personal perspective, when he learned he had prostate cancer. Monsignor Connolly completed six weeks of targeted radiation therapy at City of Hope and is doing well. The experience gave him a deeper understanding of why City of Hope is one of the nation’s top cancer research and treatment institutions.
Monsignor Connolly would later tell his congregation in a homily, “If we could all be as consistently kind, generous, welcoming, open and affirming in our Church as the caregivers are at City of Hope, I think we’d make more progress in what truly matters.”
Honoring a Life of Service
Supporters of Monsignor Connolly came together with City of Hope to honor him by establishing an endowed professorship in his name. Endowed professorships exist in perpetuity and help support trailblazing scientific discoveries toward a cure. Through a rigorous selection process, Gregory Idos, M.D., M.S., was chosen by City of Hope leadership to be the inaugural holder of the professorship. Dr. Idos is a gastroenterologist and cancer geneticist focusing on inherited conditions that lead to cancer. His research aims to find new ways to prevent these cancers and develop new ways to treat them.
Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., Eva and Ming Hsieh Family Director of Precision Medicine at City of Hope, played an active role in the effort to create a professorship that would honor Monsignor Connolly’s compassionate ministry while advancing cancer prevention and treatment innovation. The two men have been personal and spiritual friends for more than a decade. “I saw an opportunity to involve Monsignor’s supporters in City of Hope’s mission with this professorship,” Gruber says. “It provides research funding to enable better outcomes for patients, in the same compassionate spirit that Monsignor has embodied in the spiritual care he has extended to our community.”
An Honor and Responsibility
Dr. Idos says being named recipient of the Monsignor Clement Connolly Professorship in Medical Oncology is a tremendous honor and a profound responsibility. “It will enable City of Hope to accelerate lifesaving discoveries and bring them more swiftly to the people who need them most,” Dr. Idos explains.
“Beyond the science, this professorship reinforces my lifelong commitment to service,” he adds. “It’s a value deeply rooted in my Catholic faith and shaped by my education, where I learned to live as ‘a man for others.’ It empowers me to bridge the gap between the lab and the clinic and to mentor the next generation of physician-scientists, fostering a culture of compassion, inquiry and impact in medicine.”
Hope Rooted in Faith
J. Mario Molina, M.D., former president and CEO of Molina Healthcare, is the endowed professorship’s lead donor. He’s excited to honor Monsignor Connolly, his pastor for over 30 years at Holy Family Catholic Church.
“One of the things Monsignor Connolly does is give people hope, which is really important,” Dr. Molina says. “City of Hope extends hope to people, too — that’s been true since its earliest days, when it was founded as a tuberculosis hospital. Today, it’s one of the best cancer treatment centers in the country.”
When Dr. Molina was practicing medicine, he referred patients with rare or aggressive cancers to City of Hope, knowing they would receive the best possible treatment. “City of Hope still provides hope — it’s aptly named,” he says. “The institution and Monsignor share that special connection.”
Help Honor Monsignor Connolly’s Legacy
Monsignor Connolly recently retired from Holy Family Catholic Church and now serves as pastor emeritus.
The endowed professorship is a fitting tribute to a life devoted to service, compassion and community. It reflects the values he has long championed — care for others, hope in the face of hardship and a deep commitment to healing. We hope you’ll consider making a gift to honor his legacy and extend his impact by supporting research that could transform cancer care for generations.
For more information or to make a gift supporting the Monsignor Clement Connolly Professorship in Medical Oncology visit the fundraising page.
