Meath priest elected to top Holy Ghost position

A County Meath born priest has been appointed to a top position in the Holy Ghost Order. 

Fr Terry Smith CSSp from The Ward has been elected Superior of the Spiritan (Holy Ghost) Congregation in South Africa.

From a staunchly GAA family in County Meath, Fr Smith’s late father won five senior Leinster championship medals with Meath.  According to the Holy Ghost Order Fr Smith was ordained in 1980, and his first appointment as a Spiritan missionary was to West Africa where he served until the late 1990s. 

His time there included over a decade in Sierra Leone and Liberia as well as a period of time where he put his fundraising skills to great use in US-based mission appeals on behalf of his congregation. 

An eight-year period back in Ireland was next up as he was based in Kimmage Manor, Dublin before he was appointed to South Africa's Free State Province in 2007. 

According to the Order, the Spiritan presence in South Africa comprises over two dozen priests, from South Africa and neighbouring countries as well as from North America and Europe. 

With a presence in the archdioceses of Durban and Johannesburg and two other dioceses, Spiritans are involved in prison ministry, refugee care and marriage and family life ministry. 

The Spiritan presence in Ireland includes a number of priests from countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria and Tanzania in 'reverse mission' roles including parish work and school/hospital chaplaincy.

by Sean Ryan