Alphonse John Smith

Alphonse John Smith, (November 14, 1883 – December 16, 1935) was a 20th-century bishop in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as Bishop of the Diocese of Nashville from 1923-35.

Biography

Born in Madison, Indiana, Smith was ordained a Catholic priest on April 18, 1908 for the Diocese of Indianapolis. On December 23, 1923 Pope Pius XI named him to be the sixth Bishop of Nashville. He was consecrated a bishop on March 25, 1924 in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Indianapolis by Bishop Joseph Chartrand. The co-consecrators were Bishops Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina of Corpus Christi and Samuel Stritch, of Toledo.^[1]

When Bishop Smith came to the diocese he found there were only a few native priests from the diocese itself and ten seminarians. He worked to change the situation and within two years the number of seminarians from Tennessee had grown to 60, and 26 priests were ordained for the diocese during his episcopate. The monastery of the Poor Clares was established in Memphis. Several new parishes and schools were also established.^[2] Bishop Smith served the diocese for eleven years until his death in 1935. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Nashville.^[3]

References

Episcopal succession

Diocese of Nashville
Ordinaries	Bishops Richard Pius Miles James Whelan Patrick Feehan Joseph Rademacher Thomas Sebastian Byrne Alphonse John Smith William Lawrence Adrian Joseph Aloysius Durick James Daniel Niedergeses Edward Urban Kmiec David Raymond Choby
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Incarnation,Nashville Parishes St. Michael's Catholic Church, Cedar Hill (Mission)
Education	College Aquinas College, Nashville High schools Father Ryan High School, Nashville Pope John Paul II High School, Hendersonville St. Cecilia Academy, Nashville
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Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Ordinaries	Bishops of Vincennes Simon Bruté Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière John Stephen Bazin Jacques-Maurice De Saint Palais Bishops of Indianapolis Silas Chatard Joseph Chartrand Archbishops of Indianapolis Joseph Ritter Paul Clarence Schulte George Biskup Edward Thomas O'Meara Daniel M. Buechlein Joseph William Tobin
Auxiliary bishops	Denis O'Donaghue Christopher J. Coyne
Churches	Cathedral Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral Parishes St. John the Evangelist Church, Indianapolis St. Mary's Church, Indianapolis Shrine Church of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Abbey St. Meinrad Archabbey Chapel Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Education	Higher education Marian University Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Seminaries Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology High schools Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard High School, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter High School, Indianapolis Cathedral High School, Indianapolis Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception, Oldenburg Our Lady of Providence Junior-Senior High School, Clarksville Providence Cristo Rey High School, Indianapolis Roncalli High School, Indianapolis Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School, Indianapolis Seton Catholic High School, Richmond Father Michael Shawe Memorial High School, Madison
Priests	Herman Joseph Alerding Paul D. Etienne Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina Alphonse John Smith
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