Dr. Kevin Smith
Papal Honour Recipient
February 28, 2016
Dr. Kevin Smith was born in Brockville, Ontario, and currently resides in Burlington. After
receiving his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Sussex in England, he pursued
further studies at Harvard Business School in the United States.
For over twenty years, Dr. Smith has been engaged in Catholic Healthcare. Between 2001 and
2009 he was the President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and from 2009 until
now he has been the President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System. He has and continues to
be involved in leadership roles with the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Dr. Smith is the recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.
In recognition of his pastoral dedication and contributions to the Diocese of Hamilton, he will be
appropriately honoured as a Knight of St. Gregory the Great during a celebration at the Cathedral
Basilica of Christ the King in Hamilton, on February 28, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.
The Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great was founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1831 to
reward the civil and military virtues of subjects of the Papal States. It is one of the five orders of
knighthood bestowed on Catholic men and women, and occasionally on non-Catholics, in
recognition of their personal service to the Church and their good example in the community.
The decoration is an eight-pointed red-enamelled gold cross impressed with the image of St.
Gregory.