Fr. Maury Smith, OFM, 88, passes away in Memphis, Tennessee

Fr. Maury Smith, OFM, 88, passed away on July 22, 2025, in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. He had a diverse ministry, serving as a retreat director, college educator, columnist and pastor, as well as in provincial administration, during his 66 years as a Franciscan friar.  

Visitation will be held Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at 10 a.m., at St. Mary’s Church, 155 Market Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, 1663 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee 38106.   

Fr. Maury was born to Thomas Smith and Rose Stupnesky on April 20, 1937, in Memphis. He was received into the Franciscan Order on June 21, 1958, and made simple vows on June 22, 1959, both in Teutopolis, Illinois. He professed solemn vows on June 22, 1962, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 9, 1966, in Teutopolis.  

After ordination, Fr. Maury continued his pastoral formation at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Cleveland in 1966. He then spent a year as parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in St. Louis before studying for two years at Divine Word International in London, Ontario, Canada. From 1968 to 1980, he served at Alverna Retreat House in Indianapolis, as vicar and retreat director from 1968 to 1974, and director of the English-speaking Conference Plan for Franciscan Living from 1974 to 1980. During this time, he received a Doctor of Ministry in pastoral counseling.  

For seven years, Fr. Maury served on the formation team responsible for training young friars, first at St. Paschal Friary in Oak Brook, Illinois, as director of formation (novice master) and guardian (1981 to 1983), and then at St. Francis of Assisi Friary in Franklin, Indiana, where he served as novice master and praeses (1983 to 1984) and guardian (1984 to 1987). From 1987 to 1991, he lived in San Antonio, providing lay minister training at the Oblate School of Theology and serving as director of theological field education.  

Fr. Maury returned to his native Memphis in 1991 as pastor of St. Mary Parish and guardian of the local friary from 1996 to 1998. He went back to San Antonio in 1998, taking a sabbatical year for language studies at Mexican American Catholic College before working on the Southeastern Deanery Pastoral Resources team from 1999 to 2009. He returned to Memphis in 2009 and was chaplain for the Christian Brothers Community and Christian Brothers High School.  

In 2010, Fr. Maury moved to St. Germain Friary in Dittmer, Missouri, spending a year in residence, two in spiritual direction as assistant at Il Ritiro Franciscan Retreat Center as well as supply ministry for local priests. He served as the legacy Sacred Heart Province’s director of friar life and justice, peace and integrity of creation while living in Dittmer (2011 to 2017) and St. Louis (2016 to 2017).  

In 2017, he returned to San Antonio to serve the archdiocese as a spiritual director while contributing biweekly articles to the archdiocesan newspaper, Today’s Catholic. In 2022, he returned to St. Anthony Friary in St. Louis, where, although semi-retired, he continued to help with local Masses as a supply priest and offer confessions at St. Anthony of Padua Parish. During the COVID-19 quarantine, he maintained his writing contributions to Today’s Catholic and provided in-person and online spiritual direction. He enjoyed spending fall Saturday afternoons watching Notre Dame football.   

Fr. Maury was diagnosed with cancer in June 2025 and entered hospice care shortly afterward, moving to the Jewish Rehabilitation Center in Memphis to be near loved ones. He is survived by his brother friars in the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.