Richard W. Smith

Smith was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 28, 1959. He was the oldest of four children of Anne Marie (Butts) and Donald James Smith. Smith studied at St. Mary's University, obtaining a bachelor's degree in communication. He later received a Master of Divinity at the Atlantic School of Theology. He furthered his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, from which he earned a licentiate in 1993 and a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree five years later. ==Presbyteral ministry==

Smith was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1987, for the metropolitan Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth. ==Episcopal ministry==

Regional and National (2002–present) Since 2003, Smith has been a member of the English Sector Commission for Christian Education in the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops In 2009, Smith was made vice president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2011, he became the conference's president and held the position until 2013. He serves as the conference's current chairman. Smith was a member of the conference's Episcopal Working Group for the Coordination of Indigenous Initiatives and then of the ad hoc Committee for Indigenous Issues. He is also the national spiritual advisor of the Catholic Women's League of Canada, and president of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops. Edmonton (2007–2025) He was named the eighth metropolitan Archbishop of Edmonton by Pope Benedict XVI on March 22, 2007, being formally installed on the following May 1. Vancouver (2025–present) Pope Francis appointed Smith Metropolitan Archbishop of Vancouver on February 25, 2025. == Media ==

Smith co-hosted Upfront with the Archbishop with Jenny Connelly from May 10, 2022, until its conclusion on October 29, 2024, releasing 106 episodes ranging from 18 minutes to an hour and a half. The podcast was published on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and select episodes included video which was published on the podcasts YouTube channel of the same name. The podcast sought to strengthen the relationship between the hierarchy and the faithful through informal conversations about our Catholic faith. CBC News' Clare Bonnyman interviewed Smith and Connelly about their podcast on CBC News' podcast Deep Dive. ==References==