Fr. Richard G. Smith joined St. Joachim-St. John the Evangelist parish in September, 2011 as pastor. Originally from the Bronx, he grew up in Dutchess County attending St. Columba School in Hopewell Jct., Our Lady of Lourdes High School, and, briefly, Vassar College. He graduated from St. John’s University in Queens with a degree in philosophy and theology and was ordained at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on May 17th 1997 by Cardinal O’Connor after attending St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, Yonkers.
Fr. Richard was previously assigned to St. Peter’s parish in Haverstraw, St. Margaret of Antioch in Pearl River, Annunciation in Crestwood and St. Benedict’s in the Bronx. For the past year he has been working full-time working on a degree in theology at Fordham University in the Bronx.
Fr. Richard’s father, Richard, who passed away in 1996, worked at Downstate for many years. His mother, Mary, sister, Erin, brother, Liam and nephews, James and Ryan all live nearby.