Smyth was known for his deep piety and boundless charity. He would oversee the continued expansion of the church's presence in Iowa as immigration continued into the state. Because of difficult economic times and the American Civil War, not much progress was made on building new churches. However, he was able to recruit Irish priests to the diocese, primarily from All Hallows College in Dublin. This caused discontent among the French born priests and many of them left the diocese. A happier occasion for Smyth occurred in 1863 when he consecrated Ephraim McDonnell as the first abbot for New Melleray after it had been elevated to an abbey by the Holy See.