Bishop Smith celebrates 60 years as a priest
Bishop Emeritus of Meath, Most Reverend Dr Michael Smith, DD, DCL, celebrated 60 years as a priest last Thursday, March 9, and there was a special tribute during Mass in the Cathedral of Christ The King, Mullingar.
Fr Phil Gaffney, Adm Mullingar, during his homily reserved special praise for Bishop Smith, acknowledging all his work as a bishop and priest over the years. On January 29, Bishop Smith celebrated 38 years as a bishop.
In return, Bishop Smith thanked Fr Gaffney for his homily and paid tribute to everyone who had made a special effort to attend Mass in inclement weather. He said he was humbled by the kind words spoken and that his thoughts and prayers were with a lot of his classmates who had sadly passed on.
Bishop Smith was born in June 1940 in Oldcastle, County Meath and his post primary education was in St Finian’s College, Mullingar, after which he went to the Pontifical Irish College in Rome.
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Meath at the age of 22 in the Papal Archbasilica of St John Lateran, Rome, on Saturday March 9, 1963 by Cardinal Luigi Traglia, Cardinal-Bishop of Albano, later the Vicar General of Rome and Dean of the College of Cardinals.
The then Fr Michael Smith celebrated his first Mass the following day in the Clementine Chapel, located under the Altar in the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter. Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome, and obtained a Doctorate in Canon Law.
As a newly ordained priest, he was one of 42 young priests chosen as recording secretaries at the sessions of the Second Vatican Council (October 11, 1962 to December 8, 1965).
The then Fr Smith has the rare distinction of having attended all 168 sessions of Vatican II – famously, part of his work included recording the deliberations of the Pope, cardinals and bishops in shorthand, in Latin.
He returned to Ireland and first served as a priest in Clonmellon, and then in the Cathedral parish of Mullingar, while also serving as Chaplain in St Loman’s Hospital and as Diocesan Secretary to the Bishop of Meath.
As a priest and as a bishop, he served as secretary to the Irish Bishops Conference, and he played a major role in organising and hosting the visit of now St Pope John Paul to Ireland in 1979.
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop on Thursday November 17, 1983, and his episcopal ordination as Auxiliary Bishop of Meath was on Sunday January 29, 1984, in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar – making him the youngest bishop in Ireland at the time, at 43 years of age.
He became Coadjutor Bishop of Meath on Thursday October 13, 1988, with the right of succession.
On Wednesday May 16, 1990 Bishop Smith became Bishop of Meath, following the retirement of Bishop John McCormack. Bishop Smith formally retired in 2018, on age grounds, and became Bishop Emeritus of Meath, being succeeded by Bishop Tom Deenihan. Bishop Deenihan was appointed Bishop-elect of Meath on Monday June 18, 2018 and his episcopal ordination was on September 2.
Last December, Bishop Smith published a book detailing his experiences, recollections and insights from attending the 168 sessions of the Second Vatican Council.
‘Vatican Council Memories’ (Veritas, 208 pages), was launched on Tuesday December 6, 2022.