{{Short description|Irish Roman Catholic Bishop}} {{other people|Michael Smith}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use Irish English|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific-prefix = [[The Most Reverend]]<br> Dr. | name = Michael Smith | title = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath|Bishop Emeritus of Meath]] | image = | caption = | diocese = Meath | archdiocese = Armagh | predecessor = John McCormack | successor = [[Thomas Deenihan]] | ordination = 9 March 1963 | ordained_by = [[Luigi Traglia|Cardinal Traglia]], Cardinal-Bishop of Albano | consecration = 29 January 1984 | consecrated_by = [[Tomás Ó Fiaich|Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich]] | nationality = Irish | religion = [[Roman Catholic]] | education = | alma_mater = | motto = | signature = | signature_alt = | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Michael Smith.svg | coat_of_arms_alt = }} '''Michael Smith''' KC*HS (born 6 June 1940) is the retired<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bsmithm.html|title=Bishop Michael Smith [Catholic-Hierarchy]|first=David M.|last=Cheney|website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> [[Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath]], [[Ireland]]. He was ordained priest in the Papal [[Archbasilica of St. John Lateran]] on 9 March 1963 by [[Luigi Traglia|Cardinal Traglia]], [[Cardinal-Bishop]] of Albano. He celebrated his first mass on 10 March 1963 in the [[Clementine Chapel]], located under the Altar at [[St. Peter's Basilica|Papal Basilica of Saint Peter]].
== Early life and education == He was born in [[Oldcastle, County Meath]], the son of Bridget Fagan and John Smith and studied for the priesthood at the [[Pontifical Irish College|Irish College in Rome]]. He was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[priest]] for his native diocese on 9 March 1963 and continued his studies in Rome where he earned a doctorate in canon law. He attended all 168 days of the [[Second Vatican Council]] for which he and 41 other young priests prepared the official record,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Smith |first=Michael |editor1=Dermot Lane |editor2=Brendan Leahy |encyclopedia=Vatican II: Facing the 21st Century |title=An Eyewitness Account |url=http://www.catholicireland.net/pages/index.php?art=959 |accessdate=2012-10-30 |year=2006 |publisher=Veritas |location=Dublin |isbn=9781847300126 |quote=In all, forty-two students drawn from the seminaries in Rome were invited to take part, the majority of them Italian. }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> having been appointed as a recording secretary to the council immediately after his ordination as a priest.
After his return from Rome he served in the [[Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar|Cathedral Parish of Mullingar]], as chaplain to St Loman's Hospital and as secretary to the bishop. {{Infobox bishop styles | name = Michael Smith | dipstyle = [[The Most Reverend]] | offstyle = [[Your Grace]] | relstyle = [[Bishop]] | image = Coat of arms of Michael Smith.svg | image_size = 200px }}
He was appointed [[auxiliary bishop]] of the diocese and [[Titular Bishop]] of Leges on 17 November 1983 and was consecrated on 29 January 1984. The [[Consecrator|principal consecrator]] was [[Tomás Cardinal Ó Fiaich]]; his principal co-consecrators were Archbishop [[Gaetano Alibrandi]], the [[Apostolic Nuncio]] to [[Ireland]], and [[Cahal Daly]], Bishop of the [[Diocese of Down and Connor (Roman Catholic)|Diocese of Down and Connor]].<ref name="auto"/>
On 13 October 1988, he was appointed [[coadjutor bishop]] with the right of succession. On 16 May 1990 he succeeded John McCormack on the latter's [[retirement]].
== Episcopal ministry == For much of his time as Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath|Meath]] he served as [[secretary]] to the [[Ireland|Irish]] Bishops' Conference and was actively involved in [[Church body|Church]] matters. Regarded as a traditional bishop he is well respected both by the people of his [[diocese]] and those in public life.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}
He took a keen interest in world affairs and led fund-raising campaigns to assist the victims of earthquakes in South America and victims of the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami]].<ref>[http://www.dioceseofmeath.ie/news/news/tsunami_relief.html]{{dead link|date=January 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
In October 2006 he travelled to Rome with the other bishops of Ireland for their five-yearly ''ad limina'' visit to the Pope.
Smith retired as Bishop of Meath on 18 June 2018<ref name="auto"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.dioceseofmeath.ie Website of the Diocese of Meath] {{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[John McCormack (bishop)|John McCormack]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath|Bishop of Meath]]|years=1990 – 2018}} {{s-aft|after=[[Thomas Deenihan]]}} {{s-end}} {{Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland}} {{Roman Catholic Bishops of Meath}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Michael}} [[Category:1940 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Meath]] [[Category:Pontifical Irish College alumni]] [[Category:Participants in the Second Vatican Council]] [[Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland]] [[Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland]] [[Category:Christian clergy from County Meath]] [[Category:People from Oldcastle, County Meath]]