Both of these bishops were born in the early 20th century in the Diocese of Buffalo.
Bishop James Johnston Navagh was born in 1901 in Buffalo. Bishop Leo Richard Smith was born in 1905 in Attica.
They were both ordained priests for the Buffalo Diocese on Saturday 21 Dec 1929. But they occurred more than 4,000 miles (7,000 km) apart. Smith was ordained first, in San Giovanni in Laterano Cathedral Basilica in Rome, Italy by Basilio Cardinal Pompilj (Archpriest of that Basilica and Vicar General of Rome). Navagh was ordained in St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo by Bishop William Turner.
Fate would bring them together again in the summer of 1952. On 29 Jul 1952, Navagh was named Auxiliary Bishop of Raleigh, NC. A day later, Smith was named Auxiliary Bishop of Buffalo.
Since they were both priests serving in the Buffalo diocese at the time, they were consecrated together on 24 Sep 1952. The ceremony was held in St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo with the Apostolic Delegate (Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, later Cardinal) serving as the Principal Consecrator. Bishops Raymond Augustine Kearney (Auxiliary Bishop of Buffalo) and James Henry Ambrose Griffiths (Auxiliary of the Military Vicariate) were the Principal Co-Consecrators.
Oddly enough, Bishops Kearney and Griffiths had both been ordained priests together in Rome by Archbishop Giuseppe Palica (Vicegerent of Rome) on 12 Mar 1927 for the Buffalo Diocese.
Bishop Navagh was named Bishop of Ogdensburg in May 1957.
Almost 6 years later on 12 Feb 1963, Bishop Navagh was named Bishop of Paterson, New Jersey. His replacement in Ogdensburg was, of course, Bishop Smith!
Both bishops had attended the first session of the Second Vatican Council in Rome in 1962. And they both returned in the Fall of 1963 for its 2nd session.
Bishop Leo Smith died early in that session in Rome on 9 Oct 1963.
Bishop James Navagh attended all of the sessions in Rome, but then he also died early in that last session on 2 Oct 1965.
May they rest in peace.
