Richard Patrick Smith, was an Irish-born Roman Catholic prelate, who served as Archbishop of Port of Spain,

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

. He was born in the parish of Kilbride, Co. Cavan,

Diocese of Meath The Diocese of Meath () is an Irish diocese which took its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it still exists as a separate diocese, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other dioceses. Histor ...

, on (St. Patrick's Day) the 17th of March, 1802. Having received his early education in Balljonachugh, he entered

Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...

to study for the priesthood, for the Ardagh Mission (despite Smith being from the Meath diocese), and was ordained in 1825. It was highlighted in the Maynooth Commission Report in 1855, that Dr Smith was technically an external student in Maynooth, attending lectures while residing in the town, since he was destined for foreign missions, this would seem to have contravened the British Government's, statutes for the college. Shortly after ordination he decided to go on the Trinidad Mission, in preparation to preach the Gospel to the French Colonists, he went to France and entered

Saint-Sulpice, Paris The Church of Saint-Sulpice () is a Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of Place Saint-Sulpice, in the 6th arrondissement. Only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and Saint-Eustache, it is the third largest church in the city. ...

, where he remained for two years, mastering the French language, he arrived in Trinidad in 1827. Appointed Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic, 1837, in 1844 he was appointed Bishop of Port of Spain serving until his death. He had guided the diocese from vicar apostolate to archdiocese, and the transition from slave labour to waged labour. Smith died May 6, 1852.Bishop Richard Patrick Smith
Catholic Hierarchy. He had not nominated a successor, which led to some controversies in the diocese.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Richard Patrick 1802 births 1852 deaths Christian clergy from County Cavan 19th-century Irish bishops Irish expatriate Roman Catholic archbishops Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth