August 13, 2024 // Diocese

Bishop Peter Smith: From South Africa to Rome by Way of South Bend

Jill Boughton

Freelance Writer

Pope Francis recently appointed Bishop Peter L. Smith, Auxiliary Bishop of Portland, Oregon, as the ecclesiastical adviser to CHARIS, a Vatican agency charged with serving and unifying the worldwide Catholic charismatic movement.

Born and raised in South Africa, Bishop Smith followed a winding trajectory to this point in his life. That road included a formative six-year stay in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

Today’s Catholic recently spoke to Bishop Smith about his time spent in the diocese, his path to the priesthood, and his new papally appointed role. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Today’s Catholic: Tell us about your family and the role of faith as you were growing up.

Bishop Smith: Although my ethnic roots are Scotch-Irish, both parents came from families that settled in South Africa long ago. Although I had three Protestant grandparents, and my mother joined the Catholic Church a little before she met my father, ours was a very faithful Catholic family. I’m the oldest of six children. The priesthood was always held out as an option for my brothers and me, and two of my father’s closest friends were priests, including Father Eric Boulle, OMI, pastor of our parish. St. Mary’s.

I was an altar server for many years and never fell away from the Church. Nevertheless, I didn’t ever consider becoming a priest. Without any pressure from my family, I assumed I would marry and join the business law firm my grandfather had started. As a very analytical person, I had my life all mapped out. So after compulsory military service, I proceeded through business and law school at the University of Natal in my hometown, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It never occurred to me to ask God whether he had anything to say about my life plans.

Today’s Catholic: When did you first think about being a priest? How did that discernment develop?

Bishop Smith: In December of 1978, while I was still in business school, I had a profound, life-changing encounter with Christ and the Holy Spirit. I had been reading a book that described being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Late one evening, I committed my life to the Lord; three days later, I asked the Lord to baptize me in the Spirit, and it happened. It was just the Lord, myself, and the inspiration of what I was reading. I always knew people could know the Lord personally and experience His presence and power in our lives, but I thought that was reserved for saints and very holy people chosen by God. I never thought it was for anyone who sought it.

That book helped me see new possibilities, so I reached out for more. That completely revolutionized my faith and set me on a new journey. Before long, God began inviting me to reevaluate my plans with Him, and that has changed my entire trajectory. My state in life changed, my career changed, and where I expected to serve the Body of Christ changed. I titled my chapter in a book of vocation stories, “God Is Full of Surprises.”

Today’s Catholic: What brought you to South Bend?

Bishop Smith: In October of 1981, while I was in law school, I attended our annual Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference near Pretoria in South Africa. The two main speakers at that conference were Clem Walters, a longtime member of St. Therese, Little Flower, in South Bend, and Deacon Kevin Ranaghan, who retired in 2019 from 34 years as Deacon at St. Bavo in Mishawaka. I attended their workshop on Christian community and found it very appealing. The two of them felt led to invite me to come to the United States and explore joining the People of Praise community.

At first, I was taken aback, but I agreed to pray about it. After I finished business school, I made a commitment to remain single for the Lord. I wound up spending the years from 1983-1990 in South Bend. For the first nine months, I lived with Kevin and Dorothy Ranaghan and attended St. Joseph Parish in South Bend, where Father Paul Doyle, CSC, was pastor. Then I joined the Brotherhood, sharing household life with other men committed to celibacy. When that household moved to a different part of town, we became active in Christ the King Church in South Bend, where Father Bob Epping, CSC, welcomed us and often had us serve as lectors. He occasionally joined us for evening prayer.

Today’s Catholic: That sounds like a longer stay than you envisioned.

Bishop Smith: I was able to extend my visa and then to gain permanent residency. I became a U.S. citizen in 1997, shortly after I moved to Portland, Oregon.

Today’s Catholic: What kind of work did you do?

Bishop Smith: I did various administrative tasks for the People of Praise as well as outreach to Notre Dame students. I was on campus for the famous game against Miami in 1988 that helped secure a national championship. My ears hurt for quite a while afterwards due to the roar of that crowd.

Today’s Catholic: What is the Brotherhood?

Bishop Smith: It is currently a private association of the faithful. We live in households with a common pattern of life including prayer, meals, faith, and life-sharing, various apostolates, and putting our resources in common. We would be seen as one of the numerous new ecclesial communities in the Church coming from the impetus of Vatican II.

Today’s Catholic: Can you tell us about your vocation to the priesthood?

Bishop Smith: Over time, I grew more and more open to becoming a priest, but it was also important to me to live in Christian community. In 1996, Archbishop Francis George (later Cardinal of Chicago) invited interested members of the Brotherhood to study for the priesthood in the Diocese of Portland, Oregon. I had spent years in school but not studied much philosophy and theology, so I spent a little extra time at Mount Angel Seminary. I was ordained in 2001.

Today’s Catholic: What’s the most rewarding part of your priestly ministry?

Bishop Smith: I find pastoral ministry the most life-giving, celebrating the sacraments, and building fraternity with other Christians, being with people at key moments in their lives. I enjoy preaching, and I usually get out from behind the pulpit so the homily can be more interactive.

Today’s Catholic: What changed in 2013?

Bishop Smith: When Alexander Sample became our Archbishop in 2013, he invited me to serve as his Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. As Vicar General, I am the executive officer for the archbishop, and as moderator of the curia, I oversee the running of the Pastoral Center of the archdiocese.

Today’s Catholic: When were you named a bishop? Was that a surprise?

Bishop Smith: I was in the middle of a four-hour meeting about health care for diocesan employees when the papal nuncio called to inform me that Pope Francis was appointing me auxiliary bishop. I was so stunned, I said, “You must be joking.” He firmly assured me that it was real. I was ordained Auxiliary Bishop in 2014.

Today’s Catholic: In April, Pope Francis appointed you to be the new ecclesiastical assistant of CHARIS. What is CHARIS, and what is its role in the Church?

Bishop Smith: The word “charis,” root of “charismatic,” comes from the Greek New Testament word meaning “grace” or “favor.” It’s also an acronym for Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service.

In 2019, Pope Francis formed CHARIS to bring together what had been three separate but related associations: diocesan charismatic renewal movements such as prayer groups and renewal centers; ministries that have grown out of the charismatic renewal, such as Lamp, working with the poor in New York, Shalom Media, originating in India, and NET Ministries among college students; and Catholic charismatic communities and fellowships. For these, CHARIS provides service rather than governance.

Today’s Catholic: How have you already been involved in the international charismatic renewal?

Bishop Smith: Charismatic renewal is a current of grace of the Holy Spirit that aims to create a Church on fire with God’s love. That’s the goal of everything I do!

I served as one of two North American representatives to the CHARIS council, and I’ve served on several task forces, especially one overseeing grassroots ecumenical efforts.

Today’s Catholic: What does your new assignment entail?

Bishop Smith: I am not in charge or making decisions, I am simply serving in an advisory role and as something of a chaplain. It shouldn’t involve too much travel, but I do expect to be in Rome annually, to attend various charismatic conferences in the United States, and to be writing articles and giving talks for CHARIS.