Saturday, October 18, 2014
Thank you Father Smith! You have served your friends, your parishioners, and communities so well. I saw you do so many good things for people over the 45 years that I knew you. You had a knack for helping people feel good about themselves no matter their circumstances, for giving people a chance, for showing compassion. You were my father’s best friend, and I know he was one of your best friends. You gave my mother spiritual and emotional strength during the 6 years of her terminal illness that she knew in the beginning was hopeless, a progressive and painful torment that wasted her body until it finally gave out. You helped her to feel good about herself despite the disease. She loved to sing, and you welcomed her into your choir at St. Louis. At a time when she was feeling despair for what she knew was ahead for her, you gave her that solo part to sing at the Christmas Mass. Just like that, you had her spirits high. That stayed with her until the end. Thanks for all you did for us, so glad you were part of our family.
