Father Arthur Smith
Diocese of Buffalo
Ordained: 1971
Suspended: 2011
Assigned As Follows:
- St. Mary of the Lake (Hamburg, NY)
- Brothers of Mercy Nursing Home (Clarence, NY)
- Campus minister at Alfred University (Alfred, NY)
- Catholic Telecommunications Network of America (Staten Island, NJ)
- Cruise Ship Chaplain
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Arthur Smith:
According to media reports, Father Arthur Smith was suspended by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec after complaints of inappropriate behavior toward a school boy surfaced in 2011. The incident happened at St. Mary of the Lake in Hamburg where the boy attended school. Smith refused to stay away from the school and the principal told the Diocese of Buffalo that he was a predator who was grooming children. Arthur Smith was then sent to St. John Vianney in Philadelphia for treatment.
Bishop Richard Joseph Malone replaced Kmiec and returned Father Smith to ministry, starting him at a nursing home in Clarence. In 2013, reports came out that he had inappropriately touched two young men after he had been assigned there. Two years later, Bishop Malone wrote glowing recommendations on behalf of Smith for work and put him in contact with children once again.
According to media reports, Father Smith has been placed on leave in April 2018, due to more allegations of sexual child abuse. In February of 2019, his nephew also came out and said that Father Smith had abused him when he was just 9-years-old. He filed an official lawsuit in August of the same year under the New York Child Victims Act.
In April 2020, Father Smith was one of 23 priests removed off of the Diocese of Buffalo's payroll through an agreement it reached with survivors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo and throughout New York. The Diocese of Buffalo filed for federal bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Anyone sexually abused by a priest or employee of the Diocese of Buffalo may be entitled to file a claim against the Diocese in these bankruptcy proceedings, but very strict filing deadlines apply. Most victims of abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo will never be able to take action against the Diocese of Buffalo if they miss this bankruptcy filing deadline, so it is important that you contact us immediately to discuss your potential case.
Contact our child sexual abuse lawyers at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your legal options today.