ZELIENOPLE — Nearly four decades of service to the Catholic Church has come to an end for the Rev. Larry Smith.

Smith, who has held various titles during his time in the church, retired Monday.

His most recent position was priest of St. Gregory Parish in Zelienople and Saint Matthias Parish in Evans City for the past three years.

“I can’t really put it into words,” Smith said. “It’s a call from God.”

Smith’s career began at St. Jerome Roman Catholic Church in Charleroi. From there he went on to serve other Western Pennsylvania churches and took a turn as chaplain for the Mayview State Hospital in South Fayette.

Smith came to St. Gregory in 2012 after the church had gone through a series of interim priests. He said the parishioners have been welcoming.

“I’m amazed at how faith-filled they are,” he said. “I’ve had great joy going to Evergreen (Nursing Center) and (Passavant Community).”

“He was very jovial,” said pastoral associate Sister Patricia Myers. “He was a very holy man.”

Parishioners described Smith as active in the church, a “wonderful storyteller” and a man who got along well with children.

“He is welcoming to everyone,” said parishioner Terri Coyner. “He has encouraged everyone to step out of the pew and get active. I remember those words every day.”

“He gives so many visual reminders to children that God loves them,” Coyner said. “Every day when school was in session during recess, he would bring out games the children could play with. It was amazing.”

Sylvia Benedum, parishioner, church usher and St. Anne’s Guild member, said the first moment she met Smith she had a good feeling about him.

“Our other priest had left rather quickly,” Benedum said. “We had some interim priests, and we were looking for someone who was going to stay with us for a while.”

Benedum said Smith has also been involved with parish families’ lives. One favorite memory she has about him is when she had to put her mother in a nursing home.

“I had some conversations with him, and he was there in my time of need,” Benedum said. “There was great support from him.”

Smith also gave praise to the school and its sports teams, saying the staff and students are “like family every day.”

After retiring, Smith said he plans to have his knees operated on.

“I have very bad knees,” he said.

He also plans on visiting his sisters and being available to help other parishes with projects and activities, including St. Gregory’s parish picnic.

“I’m not much of a traveler, so it will be quite a reunion,” he said of visiting his sisters.

Parishioners volunteered to help him move to his new residence at St. Cyril of Alexandria in Brighton Heights.

Smith said he got the chance to meet his successor, the Rev. Michael Roche.

Roche, 38, served as parochial vicar at St. Basil in Carrick, St. Wendelin in Carrick, St. Albert the Great in Baldwin and St. Norbert in Overbrook.

Although parishioners are sad Smith is leaving St. Gregory, they said they are happy for him.

“He’ll be greatly missed by all of us,” Benedum said.