By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

MOUNT WASHINGTON - Rev. Edward Smith was reluctant at first to become an educator, but he discovered he loved it.

Now the 48-year-old priest from Milford has been named president and rector of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's seminary and theological institute - The Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary's Seminary.

"At first, it was obedience to the archbishop. He wanted me to teach," Smith said of his initiation into teaching after his ordination. "My inclination back in 1983 was that this was not going to work out. I thought I would do it for a year, and 11 years later I was still doing it. I loved it."

Now Smith, who has taught full time at the Athenaeum since 2000 and is former vice rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, will take over the head post currently held by Rev. Gerald Haemmerle, 61.

Haemmerle announced last month that he is leaving the post June 30.

"What I love about this program is that it prepares people to work in parishes," Smith said of both the seminary and the lay pastoral associate program. "We're not here to educate abstract theologians. We teach people how to deal with people and the reality of parishes."

More than 90 percent of the 197 active and 74 retired priests in the archdiocese are graduates of the Athenaeum of Ohio, including Smith himself, said Walt Schaefer, director of communications.

In recent years, the institution has seen the number of students rise from 200 in 1998 to 258 this year. Eight priests will be ordained from the seminary May 22, the largest class since the mid-1980s, Schaefer said.

And Smith, who now serves as the director of spiritual formation for the seminary and works directly with priest candidates and other students, wants to keep that trend going.

"I hope to continue that growth and continue to help all the divisions of the Athenaeum work well together," he said. "I hope to still teach. I would really hate to lose my connection with the classroom because I love teaching. I think that would help me stay in touch with the students."

Before going to Rome, Smith taught high school at his alma mater, Archbishop McNicholas High School in Mount Washington, and at Stephen T. Badin High School in Hamilton. He has also served as associate pastor at St. Thomas More in Withamsville, Our Lord Christ the King in Mount Lookout, and as a Sunday associate at St. Susanna in Mason.

Most recently he's been serving as a Sunday associate at his grade school alma mater, St. Andrew in Milford.