A missioner for over 60 years, Father Bill Smith
mourned as a true father
Father Dominic Duggins

Missioner to All: In 1952 West Union, Ohio, Father Bill met with some resistance from local residents when he tried to call together a Catholic community. It was his outreach to the greater community—and his gentle personality—that won people over.

Although small in stature, Father Bill Smith was a “gentle giant” as a missioner ministering to those living in the many home mission counties he served for nearly 60 years as a Glenmary priest. Father Bill, 85, died on April 25 and it was amazing how quickly word of his death spread through many of our mission areas. “There are people throughout the missions who are mourning him like they would their own father,” Father Bob Poandl says.

I, too, mourned the loss of a father, a man who, as director of brothers, helped guide me through many challenges of my early days of formation and encouraged me to become all that I could—even when I had doubts in myself.

I first came to know Father Bill when I entered Glenmary in 1961 as a brother candidate. That first year was difficult for me. At that time, brothers were expected to take trade classes in addition to theology and scripture classes. I was pretty good academically but not too good in the trade classes—I didn’t even know what a Phillips screwdriver was!

I believe Father Bill had the foresight at this time in Glenmary’s history to see that there was room in Glenmary for another type of brother, one not proficient in carpentry or mechanics.

As a result, he sent three of us brothers to part-time academic studies at Xavier University in Cincinnati. Eventually I decided to pursue priesthood, but I believe Father Bill’s simple addition to our formation program began the transformation of Glenmary’s formation program for brothers. No longer were brothers trained only for the trades, they were given the opportunity to use their individual gifts and skills—like nursing or social work—in their ministry. Besides the grace of God and my belief in God’s calling me to a religious vocation, Father Bill was the single most important person in my Glenmary formation.

In the missions, he had a gentle and loving style of ministering to his small Catholic flock and he also made himself known to the local people by eating regularly at the restaurants frequented by the locals. He introduced himself to local ministers and joined the county or town ministerial association. And he had a particular love for the African-American communities in his mission counties.

His work among the African-American community wasn’t exceptionally successful from a conversion perspective—although he did gain many friends through that outreach. But Father Bill would not be deterred, even in his later years. For example, when he was 80, he began learning Spanish so he could better minister to the Spanish speakers in our missions!

I am sure, in death, Father Bill is reaping the rewards of his dedication in serving others. And he has certainly given us an example of sacrificing one’s life for the good of others. He made a difference in people’s lives and helped make their lives better. I know, because I am one of those people whose life he touched and I will be forever grateful for this quiet, unassuming, encouraging “gentle giant” missioner.