Serving the community through religious vocation

Rev. David Smith, C.S.C., ’14, ’20 M.Div.

Associate Pastor, St. Joseph Catholic Church

MAJORS: POLITICAL SCIENCE AND HISTORY | MINORS: LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE | MASTER OF DIVINITY

A parish priest of the Congregation of the Holy Cross at St. Joseph Catholic Church in South Bend, Indiana, Rev. David Smith, C.S.C., ’14, ’20 M.Div. has dedicated his life to using his faith to serve others, embracing the values he learned while at Notre Dame. His passion for learning extends beyond himself — he shares his knowledge with his students and those in RCIA formation at his parish — and he demonstrates service to the marginalized in his mission work and local initiatives. Smith’s servant-heart is present in all of these endeavors, yet perhaps most of all in the small, daily acts of generosity that go unnoticed by others.

Upon graduation from Notre Dame, Smith entered Moreau Seminary and approached his pastoral training with a zeal for ministering to others. Early on, he immersed himself in service opportunities, traveling to Peru, Mexico, and the Texas-Mexico border to learn from the local communities and develop his Spanish-speaking skills. Back on campus at Notre Dame, he served as assistant rector in Dunne Hall and rector at Old College, keeping an open door for his residents and often cooking for them to ensure they felt at home. 

While at Moreau Seminary, Smith furthered his theological education by earning his Master of Divinity in 2020. Also in 2020, Smith professed his final vows in Holy Cross, vowing a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Countless friends and family attended his ordination in 2021, evidence of his commitment to his own community despite a busy academic and pastoral schedule. He was then assigned to St. John Vianney Parish in Goodyear, Arizona, where he dove into his new responsibilities as a bilingual priest, educator, coach, and confidante for both students and parishioners alike. In 2022, he returned to South Bend to serve as associate pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church.