STANLEY CHARLES SMITH, OSA, was born on February 9, 1935, in Andover, MA, the son of Stanley Smith and Helen (Winters) Smith. He was baptized at Saint Augustine Catholic Church, Andover, MA, on February 24, 1935. He attended Saint Augustine Parish School, (1940-1948), and Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, NY, (1948-1952). He was received into the Order as a novice on September 9, 1952, and after a year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, NY, he professed first vows on September 10, 1953. He then studied at Villanova University, (1953-1957), and received his BA in Philosophy. He professed solemn vows on September 10, 1956. He then pursued his theological studies at the Collegio Santa Monica, the Order’s international house, in Rome, Italy, (1957-1961), where he was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Traglia on December 17, 1960 in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Fr. Stan was first assigned to Saint Mary Parish, Lawrence, MA, (1961-1962) and then to Saint Joseph Parish, Greenwich, NY, (1962-1963). From 1963 to 1971, he was assigned to Saint John of Sahagun Friary and taught at Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, DC. In 1971 he returned to Massachusetts and was assigned to Saint Mary Parish, Lawrence, (1971-1972), Saint Augustine Parish, Andover, (1972-1975), Our Mother of Good Counsel Monastery, Merrimack College, North Andover, (1975-1977), Assumption Parish, Lawrence, MA, (1977-1980), Saint Augustine Parish, Lawrence, (1980-1992), and again to Our Mother of Good Counsel Monastery, Merrimack College, North Andover, (1992-1994). In 1994, he was assigned to Saint Augustine Friary, Villanova, PA, and in 2006, he was assigned to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova University, Villanova, PA.

Over the years, Fr. Stan pursued studies and course work on the spirituality of the second half of life, and was an advocate in the Province for valuing the wisdom of the elder friars. With most of his priestly life spent in parochial ministry, and later as chaplain to communities of religious sisters, he shared with them the importance of elder spirituality and ministry.

Fr. Stan died early on New Year’s Day morning, January 1, 2010, after a period of illness, at the age of 74.

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