In Celebration of the Life of Bernard Smith, O.F.M. Cap.
05/14/2010
Thomas Smith, the youngest of six children of Thomas F. and Mary Currie-Smith was born on 18 November 1937 in King Park [Long Island], NY. He along with his siblings Mary, Hugh, Patrick, Janet, and Kathleen happily grew up in the country-like setting of Kings Park. The Smiths were faithful members of the parish community of Saint Joseph where Tom was baptized, confirmed and would later say his first Mass in 1964.
Thomas attended St. Joseph Elementary School in Kings Park [1942-1951] and Saint Mary Seminary in Garrison, New York [1951-1955].
Thomas was invested at Saint Lawrence Novitiate, in Milton, MA on 31 August 1955 receiving the religious name Celestine. He would later ask to change his name to Bernard.
Along with Celestine, twenty two cleric candidates and one brother were invested with the Capuchin habit. Aidan Neenan was celebrant of the Solemn High Mass and invested the candidates. The deacon of the Mass was Myles Parsons and Ronan O’Brien was subdeacon. The following were invested: Barry [McMahon], Stephen [Benevente], Kenneth [Grady], Thomas [Mellitt], Paschal [Maddock], Benedict [Chapman], Gregory [Reisert], Howard [Navan], Kieran [Ahearn], William [Matchekosky], Gary [McKeon], John Joseph [Burke], Louis, later Gordon [Combs], Philip [Fabiano], Gerard [Bell], Evan [Lang], Raphael [Iannone], Ronald [Spillett], Killian [Lenehan], Marion [Santafede], Rian [Carson], and Gerard [Basta]. [Bulletin, Vol. II, No. 2]
Bernard professed first vows on 01 September 1956. He began his undergraduate studies at St. Anthony Friary in Hudson, NH graduating in 1960 and where he professed perpetual vows on 01 September 1959.
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