A Tribute In Thanksgiving for the Life and Ministry of The Very Rev. James Rudolph Smithen

The Cathedral and Parish of St. John
The Deanery
St. John’s Street
P.O. Box 71
St. John’s, ANTIGUA, West Indies

“Serving our people since 1687”

St. John’s Cathedral

The District Churches:
Bethel
Good Shepherd
St. Andrews
St. Anthony
St. James

Tel: (268) 462-0820
Fax: (268) 462-5402
E-mail: [email protected]

A Tribute In Thanksgiving for the Life and Ministry of

The Very Rev. James Rudolph Smithen, CSM, GCM, M.A., B.Th., L.Th.
Dean Emeritus

On behalf of the clergy and people of the Cathedral and Parish of St. John, we record with profound sorrow, yet with deep thanksgiving to Almighty God, the passing of Dean Emeritus, the Very Rev. James Rudolph Smithen, CSM, GCM, M.A., B.Th., L.Th., on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

For more than five decades, Dean Smithen served the Diocese of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba with remarkable devotion as a priest, pastor, teacher, mentor, and friend. His ministry touched countless lives across our Diocese, leaving an enduring legacy within the Church and the wider Caribbean community.

Dean Smithen’s early formation in ministry began at Codrington College, Barbados, and was further enriched through theological studies in Canada and England. He was assigned to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Antigua, where he served his curacy under the guidance and mentorship of the late The Very Reverend Fitzroy Elderfield Pestaina. It was within the life of the Cathedral Parish that his priestly vocation was nurtured and refined before his ordination to the sacred priesthood in 1973, having first been ordained to the diaconate earlier that same year. In the providence of God, the very church in which he was formed as a young cleric would later become the place where he would serve as Dean and Parish Priest, guiding the spiritual life of the Cathedral Parish with its five District Churches, Curates, and its congregations.

Following his ordination to the priesthood, his ministry took him first to Anguilla, where he served as Parish Priest of St. Mary with St. Augustine and St. Andrew beginning in 1973. In 1978, he was appointed Parish Priest of St. George with St. Barnabas in Basseterre, St. Kitts, where his ministry would profoundly shape the life of the Church and community within the Federation for many years. There he distinguished himself as a preacher of the Gospel, a teacher of the faith, and a tireless builder of Christian community, nurturing youth ministries, strengthening parish organizations, and mentoring generations of young people, many of whom would later become leaders in Church and society.

He also contributed significantly to the wider life of the Church and society in St. Kitts, serving in leadership roles within regional, ecclesiastical, and civic bodies, and helping to shape the moral and spiritual fabric of the nation. He was appointed Archdeacon of St. Kitts on 16th July 1985, a role that entrusted him with the oversight of clergy and parishes: pastoral and administrative, through regular visitations across eight of the diocese’s twelve islands, including St. Kitts, where he resided.

Such was the depth and breadth of his influence in the Federation that his service was formally recognised by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in 2021, with the Companion of the Star of Merit (CSM), one of the nation’s highest distinctions. This recognition was well deserved as Dean Smithen’s appointment to St. George made him the first black priest and first native son of the soil to lead the largest Anglican Church on the island. His appointment was not without its challenges, yet his deep trust in Almighty God and steadfastness in service so steadied his course that it conveyed the impression of smooth sailing.

Throughout his ministry, Dean Smithen was known for his disciplined approach to Christian formation, particularly through rigorous confirmation classes and faithful instruction in the doctrine and worship of the Anglican Church. His influence extended beyond parish life into the wider structures of the Diocese, where he served in numerous leadership roles including Examining Chaplain to the Bishop, Archdeacon of St. Kitts, Canon of the Cathedral, and representative to the Provincial Synod.

In 2003, he was appointed Dean and Parish Priest of the Cathedral and Parish of St. John the Divine in Antigua. During his tenure he guided the life of the Cathedral with dignity, reverence, and theological depth, strengthening the worshipping life of the Church while continuing his lifelong commitment to mentoring clergy and laity. Among the most significant chapters of his ministry in Antigua was his leadership during the major restoration of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine beginning in 2010, when it became unmistakably necessary to close the historic building for extensive structural work. For the people of the Cathedral Parish, many of whom had never known life without worshipping within the walls of their beloved Cathedral, this was a deeply painful and unsettling moment.

With characteristic calm, determination, and administrative wisdom, Dean Smithen led the parish through the majority of this challenging season. He worked with committees, architects, engineers, contractors, parish leaders, community stakeholders, and supporters to plan, design, strategize, fundraise, and execute the restoration of the Cathedral, ensuring that the historic house of worship would be preserved for future generations.

During that period of displacement from the Cathedral building, many parishioners felt something of the sorrow experienced by the people of Israel when they were separated from Jerusalem and the Temple, the sacred place where God’s people gathered for worship. Yet through his steady pastoral leadership, Dean Smithen helped the parish remain spiritually grounded, reminding the faithful that while sacred buildings, dedicated to the worship of Almighty God, are holy and deeply cherished places, the life of the Church is sustained wherever the faithful gather to offer prayer, proclaim the Word, and celebrate the mysteries of the faith.

The success of the restoration and the stability of the parish during that difficult time stand as enduring testimony to his administrative ability, pastoral sensitivity, and unwavering commitment to the Church he loved. Dean Smithen demitted office as Dean in 2016 and was honoured with the title Dean Emeritus, recognising his many years of dedicated leadership within the Cathedral and the Diocese. He continued to serve faithfully in ministry until his retirement from full-time service in 2021. Furthermore, his faithful leadership and enduring contribution to Church and nation were recognised by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in 2014, when he was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit (GCM), one of the nation’s highest honours.

Even in the closing chapter of his life, he continued to teach and to serve the Church. Only a few weeks before his passing, he published his book, The Service of Holy Communion: Anglican Worship Explained, a work that distilled more than half a century of priestly reflection on the Holy Eucharist, the sacred heart and summit of the Church’s worship. In many ways, this publication stands as his final pastoral and theological gift to the Church he loved so dearly and served so faithfully.

This Cathedral parish and the wider diocese mourn deeply the loss of a priest who was not only a spiritual leader but also a beloved shepherd whose ministry shaped the lives of generations. His life and ministry stand as a witness to steadfast priesthood, faithful proclamation of the Gospel, and unwavering devotion to the worship and doctrine of the Anglican Church. His voice, counsel, and presence will be deeply missed throughout this Diocese.

We extend heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, his son Andrew and daughter Andrea and their respective families, as well as to his extended family and friends, and all across the Diocese of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba whose lives were enriched by his ministry.

As we commend Dean Smithen to the mercy and eternal keeping of Almighty God, we give thanks for a life lived in full and faithful service to Christ and His Church. In the words of St. Paul, we can declare that he has fought the good fight, kept the faith, and to the eternal glory of Almighty God, has finished his race.

Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him.

………………………………………………………
The Very Rev’d Dwane Cassius
Dean and Parish Priest

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