Deacon George Evans, one of the first permanent deacons in the U.S., dies at 88

Deacon George Evans Sr., one of the first permanent deacons ordained in the United States and the last surviving member of the first class of permanent deacons from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, died Feb. 18. He was 88.

Deacon Evans joined a class of men to be formed for ordained ministry as deacons soon after St. Pope Paul VI reestablished the permanent diaconate in 1967 following centuries without it. Deacon Evans was part of a groundbreaking deacon formation program organized by the Baltimore-based Josephites at St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, D.C., studying with 26 deacon candidates from the Archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington and the Diocese of Richmond.

He and other Baltimore candidates, all of whom were married, would later continue their three-year formation at St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park. Deacon Evans was ordained with five other men from the Archdiocese of Baltimore June 12, 1971, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

In a 2011 interview with the Catholic Review, Deacon Evans recalled the historic nature of their ordination, noting that the Mass received national attention from Catholic and secular media outlets, including NBC News.

“I was 37 at the time – the baby of the class,” Deacon Evans told the Catholic Review.

Deacon Evans was attracted to the ministry after speaking with Bishop F. Joseph Gossman, a former auxiliary bishop of Baltimore. Deacon Evans had been a lector at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex, his home parish.

After his ordination, Deacon Evans served at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In 1989, he moved to St. Rita in Dundalk, where he continued ministry well after his official retirement. 

Throughout his ministry, he was involved in religious education, making pastoral visits to the sick and celebrating baptisms, weddings and funerals. He was also active in the Dundalk Area Ministerial Association, an interfaith outreach that helps those in need.

“He’s had a very big impact on a lot of deacons,” said Deacon Herman Wilkins, director of faith formation at St. Margaret in Bel Air and a longtime friend who was stationed with Deacon Evans at St. Rita in the mid-2000s.

“He was a very prayerful guy,” Deacon Wilkins said. “Many times, he and I would go to St. Rita and have coffee with Jesus – just sitting together, praying and discussing the (Scripture) readings together.”

Deacon Wilkins said Deacon Evans was a “pastoral guy” who had a direct, but sensitive way of dealing with people.

“He told me that whenever I do a baptism, I should pray and try to do the baptism like it was the first one I’ve ever done,” Deacon Wilkins said. “I took that to heart. I always try to do that at every baptism and every wedding – doing it the way George did.”

Deacon Evans served as a medic in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, according to Crystal Howard, one of his granddaughters. He joined the service right after graduating from Calvert Hall College High School, she said.

“He never liked to talk about his time in the service,” Howard said, “but I know that he would run out onto the field when soldiers fell and he would wrap them up if they were bleeding or do whatever he could to help them. If they died, he would send their names to the base or wherever they were set up. I can’t imagine the stuff he saw.”

Howard, a parishioner of St. Rita, said her grandfather’s Catholic faith was the foundation of his life. He and his wife, Joyce, were a team and were often involved in ministry together. They had six children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“His whole life was centered around being a Catholic,” Howard said. “He loved being a part of people’s lives. He liked marrying couples and baptizing babies and bringing people into the church. He liked telling people about God and why it’s important to include God in your life.”

Howard noted that her grandfather loved to sing and was especially fond of Catholic hymns and songs. In the days leading up to his death, she said, her grandmother sang some of those same songs to her husband on his deathbed.

“He loved unconditionally,” Howard said. “He did not care if you were black, blue or orange. He didn’t care if you were rich or broke. None of that mattered to him.”

Marie Marucci, a sacristan at St. Rita, said Deacon Evans was a “great teacher of the faith.”

“He was in high demand to baptize multiple generations of parishioners,” Marucci said. “He was an extremely spiritual man, and he had an effervescent personality. He made you want to learn more about your faith and serve your faith.”

Deacon Evans told the Catholic Review in 2021 he considered the church his family. 

“I don’t like missing any time with my family,” he said. “I know so many people there.”

A funeral Mass was offered Feb. 24 at St. Rita.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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