Biography of Bishop John M. Smith

Curriculum Vitae

Most Reverend John Mortimer Smith, J.C.D., D.D. a native of New Jersey, is the Ninth Bishop of Trenton.

Born and raised in Orange, New Jersey, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark by Archbishop Thomas A. Boland in 1961. Pope John Paul II named him an Auxiliary Bishop of Newark in 1987, and he was ordained a Bishop in Sacred Heart Basilica Cathedral on January 25, 1988.

He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida by Pope John Paul II in 1991. Four years later, Bishop Smith was named Coadjutor Bishop of Trenton by Pope John Paul II. He succeeded Bishop John C. Reiss as Bishop of Trenton on July 1, 1997.

Early Life
John M. Smith was born in Orange on June 23, 1935, the oldest son of Mrs. Ethel Charnock Smith and the late Mortimer F. Smith. He has two brothers, Andrew is a Benedictine priest at Saint Mary Abbey in Morristown, New Jersey, and Gregory is a resident of Westboro, Massachusetts.

He attended Saint John Parochial Elementary School in Orange, New Jersey, and Saint Benedict Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. Later, he attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, prior to beginning his studies for the priesthood in 1955 at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington, New Jersey.

He received a bachelor’s degree in classical languages from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1957, and a bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1961.

Priestly Life
He was ordained a priest in Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark, New Jersey, by Archbishop Thomas A. Boland on May 27, 1961. As a newly ordained priest, he was appointed to the Archdiocesan Chancery Office and assigned to graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Bishop Smith also received a doctorate from Catholic University in 1966.

Bishop Smith served as assistant chancellor of the Archdiocese of Newark, defender of the bond in the Archdiocesan Matrimonial Tribunal, and Archdiocesan Coordinator of the English Cursillo Movement.

Bishop Smith was a visiting professor in pastoral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary, served six years as an elected representative on the Newark Archdiocesan Council of Priests, and three years as Dean of Central Bergen County. In 1971, he was named a Papal Chamberlain with the title “Monsignor” by Pope Paul VI.

In June of 1973, Bishop Smith was appointed to the first team ministry at Saint Joseph Church in Oradell, New Jersey, by Archbishop Boland, where he served for nine years as a parish priest.

Service in Rome
In 1982, Bishop Smith was appointed to the faculty of the Pontifical North American College in Rome as director of the Institute for Continuing Theological Education and Program Director of the U.S. Bishops’ Consultation IV.

After spending four years in Rome, Bishop Smith was appointed pastor of Saint Mary Church, in Dumont, New Jersey, in June of 1986 by Archbishop Peter L. Gerety. Shortly thereafter, then-Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick was installed as Archbishop of Newark, and Bishop Smith was named chairman of the Archdiocesan Vocation Board. He was appointed Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia on November 15, 1986.

Diocesan Service
Bishop Smith was named Auxiliary Bishop of Newark by Pope John Paul II on December 1, 1987. Bishop Smith was appointed the Third Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida by Pope John Paul II on June 25, 1991, and was installed on July 31, 1991.

Pope John Paul II transferred Bishop Smith from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee on November 25, 1995, appointing him Coadjutor Bishop of Trenton. Bishop Smith succeeded Retired Bishop John C. Reiss on July 1, 1997. He launched the Inaugural Bishop’s Annual Appeal on February 5, 2000, which has been vital to continuing the programs and services within the Diocese, and funding many new initiatives.

Domestic and International Service
Since his Episcopal Ordination in 1987, Bishop Smith has served on the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Nominations and the United States Catholic Conference Communications Committee. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the North American College in Rome.

He has served as a member of the Bishops’ Committee on Migration and Refugee Services, the Southeast Regional Office for Hispanic Affairs, and the Southeast Pastoral Institute. He was a trustee of Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida, Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Saint Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict, Louisiana.

Bishop Smith served six years on the Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services and made five visits to Africa on behalf of the board. He is a member of the Board of Regents of Seton Hall University and the Board of Trustees of Saint Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Presently, Bishop Smith is a former member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy.