Restless heart leads priest home to Rome

Former Anglican priest says he had to learn to trust in God

By BYRON PRICE
Special to the WCR
Okotoks

Father Stephen Smith was rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Calgary for 11 years and Anglican priest since 1984. Now he is an ordained Catholic priest.

He is married to Marilyn and they have three children - Tim who is going to the University of Alberta, Terry who is going into Grade 10 and Kathryn in Grade 8.

In 1996, Smith told his wife Marilyn that his heart was restless. He continued discussing these feelings with her. Marilyn suggested: "What you're saying, Stephen, seems to indicate that you wish to become a Catholic."

After a period of time Smith went to see Father Jack Bastigal, pastor of St. James Parish in Okotoks, whom he knew socially. Smith told Bastigal that he wished to become Catholic.

"Then our whole family began the journey in the RCIA program. I never thought about being a Catholic priest. Frankly, I did not think it was possible," Smith recalled.

Smith reflects: "It seems somewhere in the back of my mind I have always been drawn to the Catholic Church. I grew up in a very different environment. However, influences in one's life are profound and mysterious. In my early days of studying religion at the University of Calgary I was lucky enough to have two former Catholic priests as professors, Tad Guzie and Bernie Cooke. They taught about Vatican II and about word, ministry and sacrament.

"When I was attending Anglican seminary in Saskatoon, I would go on retreats at the Benedictine monastery in Muenster, Sask., which I thoroughly enjoyed from a personal and spiritual level.

"I was also impressed with my wife Marilyn's work in Christian music which she taught in the Catholic school system in Okotoks for eight years."

The Smith family was hit by tragedy on Dec. 16, 1997, as described by Smith: "My wife and my son were in a horrific car accident. My wife was not expected to live and if she did, there was a high possibility of brain damage. That night I was extremely down, but Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran clergy were there at the hospital along with friends and family to help us in this painful time. I am positive Jesus was with us all.

"On New Year's Eve, as I was still an Anglican priest, I said Mass. It was at that time that I said, 'Lord whatever is to happen to Marilyn is in your hands.'" On New Year's Day, 1998, my oldest son Tim and I took our guitar and violin to the hospital to play for Marilyn. When we got there, the artificial breathing apparatus was removed and she was breathing on her own. Tim and I played music from the St. Louis Jesuits, Be Not Afraid, a truly spiritual experience."

"As I entered Bishop Henry's office, the bishop and Father Bastigal smiled warmly." - Fr. Stephen Smith

Through this tragic experience Smith felt that God was still beckoning him and his family to become Catholic. "We became Catholic at the Easter Vigil, 2000."

Smith recalls that he and Bastigal talked about what he was going to do as he was no longer an Anglican priest. Smith asked Bastigal if it was possible to be a priest in the Catholic Church. Bastigal went to Bishop Fred Henry for advice on this request.

Henry advised Bastigal that Smith would require some study in Catholic theology, liturgy and Scriptures. Smith had a lot of this material already as an Anglican priest.

Smith says Bastigal told how the bishop had asked him to mentor Smith through this process and that he was also to meet with other priests in the diocese to help with his readiness to become a Catholic priest.

After the mentoring process Bastigal wrote a report and then he and Henry sent letters and the documentation to Rome to ask permission for Smith to become a Catholic priest.

Smith remembers: "The day I received a phone call from Bishop Henry asking me to meet at his office with him with Bastigal, a lot went through my mind. Would I need more study or would the decision just be 'no?'"

"As I entered Bishop Henry's office, the bishop and Father Bastigal smiled warmly and Bishop Henry said, There is a letter here for you from Rome. I think you may want to read it. I can remember the feeling as I read the letter - I felt truly welcomed home."

Bastigal describes his role in Smith's journey: "I think my part in all this is what the Catholic Church has done throughout the ages. I responded to what Stephen considered to be an invitation from God to follow Jesus. In this case it was to be an ordained Catholic priest.

"As a parish we had to do a little rethink on our expectations that only celibates could be ordained Catholic priests. It was a smooth transition. In fact many of the parishioners felt it was time the Catholic Church did something like this. Stephen brings the dimension of being a married man, husband and father to the role of Catholic priest. I believe these attributes will enable Stephen to reach out to many people in a realistic healing manner.

"Another plus I see is that we are able to respond with a lot more spiritual ministry to three Catholic schools as well as being able to respond more adequately to parishioners' needs. This ordination will help the whole dialogue process with other churches. We have historical differences but can actually begin to take steps to remove obstacles that exist and move towards a higher degree of unity."

Smith says, "Throughout the whole experience of becoming Catholic, Marilyn's accident and my ordination as a Catholic priest, I had to struggle with my faith. I needed to learn to relax more, let go and trust in God.

"I have been a musician for many years. I played double bass in the orchestra. Now I play guitar and love to sing. I guess one of my dreams is to have the congregation more involved in the music ministry at St. James, at least lending their voices to sing God's praises."

Father Stephen Smith was ordained a Catholic priest on July 14, 2002, in Okotoks. He took up duties as assistant pastor of St. James Parish to work with Bastigal.

On the day the newly ordained Smith and his family moved closer to his new parish, a group of 30 people showed up to help with the move. These people were from St. Paul's Anglican Church and St. James Roman Catholic Church.

Smith was moved by this experience: "It made us see more clearly that God's family is a very large extended family."

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