Declan SMITH

Sincere sympathy to Heather and all of the family on the passing of Declan. He sometimes took services in Dingle and Killiney(Castlegregory) while visiting his mother and it was always a pleasure to hear his wonderful sermons and stories - and of course his singing.
Leaba i measc na naomh go raibh aige.

Sending sincere sympathy to Heather and family on the passing of Rev. Declan. A deeply spiritual man with many talents. May he now rest in peace.

Dear heather.and family. We were so sorry to hear of your lovely Declans passing. He was a man full of fun, joy and music. His lovely singing voice would fill the church, you really didnt need a choir! His lifes ministry covered so many aspects of church lifethat im sure our Lord will say
"Well done you good and faithful servant, welcome into the joy of the Lord" Matt 25 verses 21-23. Much love and prayers. John and Mary

We are so deeply sorry for Declan's departure. He was one of the kindest most caring people I have ever known. I met him when he was in Donard and really enjoyed our talks. He would visit the schools with his guitar, faithful companion. Always with a smile and a song. At his home he always welcomed everyone. Lost touch with him when he moved to Spain and fully regret it. The world has lost a wonderful soul. We are so very sad. Good travels Declan. You will always be remembered.

Deepest sympathy to Heather & all Declan’s family & friends.
Declan was with us for many of the milestones in our lives. He married us & christened our boys. He was kind & generous with his time. We have great memories of him pulling out his guitar & breaking into song.
Rest in peace Declan.

Deepest sympathy to Heather and family on the passing of Declan. Thinking of you at this time.

Thank you Heather, Ciaran, Ronan & the extended Smith family for the beautiful service yesterday.
Never having had contact with CMS before, I was nervous going to an Enquirers weekend in the 80’s. But Declan immediately put us all at ease. He was such an enthusiastic, warm person - full of vision.
Much mentioned yesterday, I also remember the music. I can picture Ciaran & Ronan as teenagers playing alongside Paul Colton on piano. With them was Henry Katana, in all his African colour, dancing while he played some sort of ‘shaker’ instrument. Henry, if I remember correctly, was a Roman Catholic priest from Eastern Kenya, who came to study in Ireland and met Declan somewhere along the way. He came to many events and played with the band on RTE for a CMS service. That was Declan, welcoming & enfolding everyone into the CMS family!
‘the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.’ Deuteronomy 33:12

I have watched the celebration of Declan’s life
Well done to you all
The Easter gatherings in Rostrevor in the early 1980s were a highlight
Canon Jameson et all
Splendid moments
Sorry I could not join you today
Health has been an issue with me recently but I pray that is now history
God Bless you all

Dear Heather, Ciaran and Ronan - what a special service and tribute to Declan - thank you for so many stories retold and shared and sung. May you feel Gods peace hold you through the days ahead.

All my sympathies to Heather and family at this sad time.

Dear Heather and family,
We are so sorry for your loss. I know my mum and dad had many beautiful times spent with you both.
We were so lucky to meet Declan and spend some time with you two last July. We all thought he was a lovely, gentle person.
Sending you all love and sympathy from Canada, Vanessa, Mac, Callum and Charlotte.

So sorry to hear of Declans passing. He was a lovely man.

May God give strength in this difficult moment to all his family, it's not easy to know that you will no see physically your loved one,but his memories will remain forever.

I am so sorry I won’t make it to the service tomorrow as Declan played a big part in my spiritual life. When I went on my first CMS youth camp, he was leading the worship. He also taught me about the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you and lead you. Declan was the one who asked me if I was interested in going out with CMS to teach in Nepal from 1992-1995, and I did! He came out to visit me there and was a real encouragement. When I came home he was the one who introduced me to my dear friends Fidele and Solentine Mutwarasibo, who had recently moved to Ireland. I am really thankful that Declan was instrumental in moving me forward in my walk with God. It’s hard to believe he has gone, but I’m sure he has his guitar out in Heaven and is leading people in worship there too. Míle buíochas Declan!

Dear Family and Loved Ones of Declan,
Jaymashi!!!!

I came to know that Declan Smith has gone to rest in the Lord. We deeply remember and honor him here in Nepal.

Though I am not certain whether we met personally, I learned from my in-laws that Declan had visited Nepal and was a significant part of supporting our ministry.

For this, we are truly grateful. We thank God for his life on this earth and for the way he faithfully contributed to God’s work and ministry.

While we believe that he is now in heaven, rejoicing with the Lord and meet Bikash there. I always feel Bikash being first, would be there to welcome us in Heaven.

We give thanks for a life well lived and a journey faithfully completed.
Our prayers are with his family during this time.

May the Lord grant you peace, comfort, and the assurance that Declan has finished his race and is now resting in God’s eternal presence. As we remain here, may we continue to be faithful until our own journey on this earth is completed.

With sincere sympathy, gratitude, and prayers,
Bijata-Sundar Dhoka Ministry Nepal

Sending deepest sympathy & love to you Heather & Family on the homecall of your dear Rev Declan.I knew him from Carrig Eden, Greystones long years ago,when he attended CMSI conferences there. It was his deep voice &playing of the guitar that I will always remember .When he became Rector of Dunlavin,Donoughmore & Donard,I renewed my acquaintance with him. He impressed me greatly with his horticultural experience in Germany. A special pastor who will never be forgotten.”There is a green hill far away”.

To Heather, Ciaran, Ronan & family. Sending love, hugs and prayers at this sad time. Out of Declan's life comes many many testimonies of people whose lives he helped shape through his faith and depth of discernment. Praise God!

This sad news nevertheless brought back many remarkable memories and my sympathy and prayers are with Heather and all the family. Declan’s conviction, enthusiasm , energy , knowledge of so many churches and nations …and perhaps particularly his music … combined to make him a remarkable person and priest. His impact on the generation of clergy who trained in my time was very special … he opened our eyes to the challenges and possibilities of mission like few others. Behind this lay great pastoral gifts … perhaps uniquely manifested to us when the daughter of a Sudanese priest who was doing a year’s course at our Theological College died at home and Declan guided him and the whole college community through days of mourning. Declan was the sort of person one never forgot and whose joy was infectious. I’m glad to read that something of his mortal remains will be brought back to the Kingdom of Kerry, the homeplace that seemed to renew his energy for building the Kingdom of God.

Sincere sympathy to Heather, Ciaran, Ronan & extended families.
I am sorry to hear of Rev. Declan's passing.

Thinking of you all.

Sincere condolences to Heather. Ciaran and Ronan and extended family at this sad time.
Rest In Peace Declan. 🌻🌻

Sending sincere condolences to Heather, Ciaran, Ronan and all the family circle. Although we haven’t been in touch for many years, we remember Declan as a very special person who had a big impact on our lives. Fiona worked with him in CMSI in the mid-eighties and fondly recalls him in his trademark Icelandic jumper. He was a warm and open-hearted colleague, with a gift for drawing people into Mission and always ready with a big bear hug when you needed it! Later he visited us both when we were teachers in Dodoma, Tanzania and made a great impression. He spent time listening to all the Mission personnel, praying with us and generally encouraging us with his spiritual counsel and good humour.

He was a lively speaker too – often producing his guitar & launching into an impromptu African praise song at the end of his talks & sermons. A few years later he preached at our wedding in Eglantine parish, Hillsborough (sharing the service with Cecil Wilson and Fiona’s rector William Bell) and true to form he burst into a rendition of “Jabulani Africa” from the pulpit! One of Roger’s abiding memories was when Declan was a guest in his house & he took the trouble to tackle a large pile of washing up, leaving it all clean and neatly stacked - a rare example of servant leadership.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Sincere condolence to all your family. I only met you a few times, but that was enough to have a lasting impression on me. I was getting married and we meet you in Rathsallagh golf. We just didn't meet you, we met 10 other rectors. After that we went to your home. Declan came all the way down to Leitrim to help marry us. You were so kind. You said if we were bless with children they would know both our religions. RIP

Sincere condolences to all declans family at this sad and reflective time

Deepest Sympathies to Heather, Ciaran, Ronan and extended family and friends. RIP from Peter, Daun, Ben, Aran, Ella and Laura Lawless

I was saddened by the news of the passing of my sponsor, mentor, and cultural mediator, Rev. Declan Smith. The story began over 30 years ago when he played a vital role in my migration to Ireland in September 1995. Helping secure my scholarship to study Development Studies at Kimmage Manor. This was just the beginning.
Declan’s household support coupled with the welcome at the Church Missionary Society Ireland laid the foundation of the many connections I made in Ireland. Some of these connections have since passed away, but I am still in contact with many of the people I met, and this will be a living legacy of Declan.
It was befitting that someone who spent many years in Africa as a missionary would welcome me in Ireland. Declan was my first Equality Diversity Inclusion and Access mentor. His intercultural competencies, along with the support and advice that followed, helped me navigate what would have been very difficult terrain. He helped me avoid many faux pas. As an anecdote, in and around 1998, another friend was hospitalised, and I was torn between the African approach to visiting a sick friend in the hospital and the Western formalities around such a visit. A quick chat with Declan helped me navigate the paradox. I cannot count the number of relationships between the Irish and the migrants that broke because of the sensitivities around hospital visits.
May he rest in perfect peace and may the many people he inspired continue to fulfil his mission.

Sincere Sympathy to Heather and family on the loss of Rev Declan.

We were very sad to read of Declan’s death. We were privileged to buy his former house in Killiney a long time ago and found both he and Heather wonderfully kind and thoughtful to deal with. We would like to send our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to his family.

Deepest sympathy to Heather and the whole Smith family. My memory of Declan goes back many years and he touched many people's lives and was involved in many activities. My involvement with him was mainly through Church Mission Society. I knew him initially from his promotion of mission and later I served on the board of CMSI. His knowledge of the mission field was extraordinary and he had such a portfolio of songs in the local languages that he could deliver with such expertise. He prepared me and others for a visit to India. I remember his office in CMSI building in Rathmines. It was packed with items he had collected from his overseas mission service. He frequently spoke at Diocesan Synods. He was particularly interested in asylum seekers. On one occasion he delivered his speech as a song along with his guitar. He was particularly interested in the leprosy work of Dr Christine Matthews in India and of her protegee, Dr Rajkumar, who carried on her work. In later years he was a regular celebrant of Holy Communion in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, when I was there.
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Geoffrey McMaster

Our sincere sympathy to heather and family on the passing of rev declan.thinking of ye at this sad time.

Sympathy to all the family. He was an inspirational clergyperson in the fullest sense .

Deepest sympathy to Heather, Ciaran, Ronan and Declans extended family. May he rest in peace.